


Learning to Live Again

by Conan_76



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Ben Solo’s Henley Appreciation Society, Ben has sexy hair, Crack Treated Seriously, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fix-It, HEA, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo Baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21877570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Conan_76/pseuds/Conan_76
Summary: Ben doesn’t die and no one goes back to Tattoine, because that ending was stupid and depressing.  Our space babies are whisked away by Maz to a safe house arranged by Space dad, where they work on recovering from a lifetime of abuse and bad writing in the last movie.  #BenSoloDeservedBetter #FuckDisney.
Relationships: Ben Solo/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 120
Kudos: 666





	1. Anywhere but here.

**Author's Note:**

> I despise that dumpster fire of a movie, so this is my cathartic way of dealing with it. I’m rusty AF and living dangerously without a beta. I love you all and think we should send our therapy bills to Kathleen Kennedy and her GOT level henchman JJ Abrams.

He was still smiling as his fingers began to map her beautiful face. He pulled her in again for another kiss more passionate than their first, he gently probed her soft lips and their tongues tentatively tangled, exploring and tasting for the first time.

She couldn’t pull him close enough, and her heart was on the edge of bursting out of her chest with happiness. Rey could feel his own heart pounding through his thick shirt as she grasped and tugged at it. They were both damp and cold, his color was a little bit gray for her liking, but they were alive and his drugging kisses stole the very air from her lungs.

That’s when she heard the exasperated tutting of Maz. 

“Oi, Jedi Girl! Grab your man and let’s go!”

They broke apart with the same stupid grins on both their faces, still grasping each other as any separation was unthinkable.

Her voice was raspy as she broke their goofy smiling standoff. “Let’s get out of here…”

“Where?” he whispered, running his fingers over her cheeks and sending shivers down her arms with every touch.

She bit bottom lip and as her shit eating grin grew bigger. “Somewhere far away, it doesn’t matter, I just want to be with you.”

Then Ben Solo for the first time in an age let out what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle as they helped each other stand. 

It should have been odd to be so in synch with another person. He had so long being touch starved and hopelessly alone, but they were, and whether it was from the bond or shared trauma, as if by instinct he pulled her against him. 

His vice like arms nearly crushed her as they pinned her to his warm and solid chest, but for the first time in her life, she felt safe and loved and she shuddered over the thought that they could have lost this chance for happiness so scarily easily and she sniffled her nose into his form trying and failing to keep her tears from spilling over.

“Sweetheart,” he softy spoke. “You will never be alone again.” She looked up into the dark but now smiling eyes of Ben Solo, the man she loved and said, “neither will you.” 

“Oh for force sake you two...Ben Solo!” Maz stomped over, considering him for a moment. “It’s about damn time you showed up.” “It’s been a regular shit show out there and we need to pack up and get the hell out of this system now.” 

Maz suffered no arguments from her charges and her tiny ancient form beckoned the two of them to follow her out of the caverns and to her waiting ship.

Ben wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her sweetly one last time, then took her by the hand and they followed after Maz with him leaning heavily on Rey for support.

Maz had an old Corellian made cruiser, not Falcon level old, but certainly in better shape even if there were several blaster marks. Where First Order ships were sterile floating army barracks devoid of any warmth or joy, this ship smelled like the forests of Takonda, strong spices and...there was underlying hint of cigars and strong whiskey. The cigars and whiskey brought back the memory of his father’s ship, which needed painting, bleach and probably a black light. He started to smile, but the grief of losing both of his parents threatened to overwhelm Ben. Sensing his sudden distress Rey squeezed his hand and looking up pressed a gentle kiss to the underside of his jaw, 

He was pulled back to the present and the joy that came from the possibility of finally, God’s finally, having a happy life after a lifetime of torment. “I’m ok, it was just a happy memory.”

“OK Jedi girl, that one needs to lay down, you’re copilot for this escape. He stands any longer we’re going to risk him hitting his head when the adrenaline wears off. “

Force, Maz was right, he was utterly exhausted. His leg was barely holding any weight at this point, but the thought of leaving Rey, for even a moment, after nearly losing her was panic inducing. Especially when there was still a battle raging in the sky above them. 

“I’ll be here, when you wake up.” “Maz is right... you look terrible,” Rey said with a smile as she kissed his cheek and helped him to a sleeping berth.

Ben was beyond the point where he was able to protest and he was out before his head hit the pillow. 

He wasn’t sure how long he been asleep but when he woke it was to the sound of the ship’s engines as they made their way through the hyperspace lanes and the soft snoring of his beloved tucked in next to him. He didn’t even remember when she crawled into bed and ended up asleep in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder. 

He ached everywhere, but he was alive and his savior was in his arms. With a soft smile he left a lingering kiss to the top of her head and knew no more for hours.  
……..

When he next emerged from sleep, Rey was gone, but there were bacta patches over his various wounds, his leg still ached and would need attention, but for now he was in relatively one piece and in dire need of the fresher. 

Yep, he looked like hell and assumed he wasn’t smelling much better. Maz’s ship had a fully working fresher, but it was clearly built with the tiny pirate in mind and not a six foot four humanoid. 

With some difficulty he stripped his clothes. His poor Henley was ripped from the battle and Rey’s saber wound. It had been tight already, but was still his favorite. Tossing his clothes into the Refresher, he folded his huge and very sore body into the shower; hoping like hell she had enough hot water. 

Washing the grime and blood away was a near heavenly experience. Everything about what he felt, on the inside and out, had been muted for so long that he had lost the memory of what it was like to not having that monster constantly gnawing at his psyche. Now it was if he’d come up for fresh air for the first time in a decade and all of his nerves were alive and singing. 

And that was a new development. He was definitely sporting a semi. Snoke...no Palaptine clearly did not appreciate him having any sort of sex drive and this particular event rarely occurred. 

Soaping up his hand he took an experimental tug and nearly fell forward from the exquisiteness. Force! It felt amazing after so long. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head as he ran his hand experimentally up and down his now fully rigid shaft. God’s his mind conjured Rey’s hands on him, her soft body wet and pressed against his.

“Ben! Ben!” “Are you ok?” Came the panicked voice of Rey who was banging at the fresher door. 

Well, this was embarrassing.

“Um, no...I’m ok...situation... under control.” “Good shower.” He croaked out, trying and failing not to panic.

“Are you sure?” Came her concerned reply.

His traitorous dick had picked the wrong time to start working. He was going to die a virgin from the sheer embarrassment of having a fantasy about Rey before he’d even told her he loved her.

“Nope, I’m good.” He grit out banging his head against the fresher wall.

Of course she would hear the thud and sense his panic, he could feel her own anxiety rolling off her in waves. 

“I’m coming in, something is wrong.” Oh god now it was twitching and he glared down at it as if that would stop it from seeking his mate.

“Rey, I’ll be out in a minute, I promise sweetheart.” 

She was clearly unconvinced, “Ok, I’m going to wait right here.” 

Well of course she was, so with one last glare at his very excited appendage he rinsed off. Less thoroughly than he would have liked, and reached for a nonexistent towel. 

Yep, this was how he was going to die. 

Somewhere Han was laughing his ass off. Ben was definitely not smooth.

Swallowing his pride and trying to keep his voice from squeaking like a prepubescent teen he asked, “Can you find out where the towels are?”

“Ok, hold on, I’m sorry I used the last one.” He could hear her footfalls followed by excited chattering. 

“I’ve got one, I’ll hand it in.” “But Maz wants you to keep your pants off so I can get bacta on your legs.”

“Of course she does,” he muttered under his breath.

The door opened a bit and he grabbed the towel, quickly drying off and getting his now clean clothes out of the fresher, sans pants of course, because the gods clearly hated him.

“Um ok, I’m done.”

She opened the door and gave him an appraising look, the concern etched on her face. “Your flushed, you need to lie down.” She pulled him by his free hand as his other was keeping the towel together as if his life depended on it.

He was sure he was flushed, the tips of his ears were burning. She deposited him on the sleeping berth and started to push the towel up as far as she dared. He was clearly ill and jumping him in this state was probably bad form...probably.

Force, this man was stupidly good looking. She was starting to get a bit flushed herself as she uncovered him. Rey was trying to look only at his mottled and bruised legs while applying bacta. But he smelled so delicious and the sounds he made as the air left his lungs from the pain relief made her shiver and tingle. 

His eyes were already drooping and his breath evening out as she applied the the remaining sticky bandages.

“Sleep,” She smiled at him pressing a kiss to his plush lips and then she practically fled from the room to help Maz in the cockpit.


	2. Are we there yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for that movie....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 and I’m still pissed. Welcome to chapter 3 of my Go Eff Yourself JJ work. 
> 
> Thanks again for your patience, This is my first fic in a decade and I’m rusty. I know it’s a short chapter, but these kids needed a little tension relief.
> 
> Meanwhile on Maz’s Floating taxi....
> 
> Darth Darcy is feeling a bit better and getting frisky. Rey’s really not putting in a lot of effort to not ravish a recovering dark lord. I mean have you seen that shirt?

Rey plopped down into the copilot’s seat. Her cheeks were burning, not to mention she now had that crazy ache and tingling between her thighs that accompanied her more baser thoughts of Ben. She knew she had it bad and that brought the stupid grin back.

Sure she’s seen his bare chest before. Seriously...she was only humanoid and a hot sweaty half naked Ben glistening was the stuff of dreams, quite literally her dreams. Even when they were spitting fire at each other through the bond, her unconscious mind was infinitely creative with that god-like body.

“Garh,” she was a horny monster for a man who could currently barely walk. 

“Something wrong Jedi girl?” Maz was watching her through those round spectacles that seemed to allow her to see through time and space.

“No, he’s fine.” 

“I wasn’t asking about Solo.”

Rey looked towards the dashboard of the cruiser studying the blinking lights as if they would divulge the meaning of life. She’d never really had a mother, what little she knew about men and women came from the baths at Jakku and a few giggled conversations with Rose about flyboys and their reputations. 

Love, romantic love was new to her. She knew in her bones that she and Ben were forever, but neither of them had an easy path to get here. Once the adrenaline and the euphoria wore off, they would undoubtedly struggle, the saving grace was that they would do that together.

Leia, who she did consider a mother figure, was too busy and quite frankly asking about men when the real questions were about her only child were clearly out of the question. She had what she thought was a relatively good idea about the mechanics, but beyond that, how to live with someone else, she was admittedly clueless.

“What happens to us now? The war...the war is still going on.” “We haven’t even heard anything about the battle, do they know we are even alive?” Fleeting thoughts of hopelessness and the shadows started to creep in again as her thoughts darkened. 

Maz reached out a wrinkled hand and lifted Rey’s chin. “My dear child, you have done your part...I told you once that there was someone who could come back, and he did. Your only job now is to live...both of you. You deserve this chance; the Force has spoken and you were both spared.” She paused for a moment considering her words and sighed, “For living is the ultimate revenge against those who sought to destroy you.” 

“Maz,” Rey whispered, “I don’t know if I know how to live.” 

“Good, neither does your boy, you will figure it out together.”

Rey silently nodded and turned back towards the viewport. The stars were flying by outside. 

“Where are we going?” Rey asked again.

“There is a safe house on a small world, it’s in that sweet spot between the core worlds and those controlled by the cartels. You will be safe there as no one knows you or he is alive. The news wires are saying that the supreme leader died in the battle and that the Jedi girl Rey is presumed dead.” 

Rey turned this over in her head for a moment. Her initial instinct was to reach out to her friends thinking of how they would react to her death. Rose, poor sweet Rose would be devastated and Finn...but the man asleep in the back of this cruiser needed to heal and they both needed to come to terms with what happened to them. What had been done to them by their own families. When she thought about it more, anonymity was a blessing. 

Let the universe think they were gone. 

“Thank you Maz, I don’t know what would have happened to us.”

Maz sighed, “Get some rest, your big lug will be up and moving soon. And if he’s anything like his father...” She started cackling.

Rey blushed deeply and took the hint scurrying off to the sleeping berth.

He looked like an angel with his silky soft raven hair spread on the pillow, his dark long lashes fluttering against his pale cheeks. That ungodly tight black tunic molded around his form as if some thirsty tailor had made it with the design of sculpting it to his torso. He had tossed off the bandages at some point and she knew under that blanket that he was only in his underclothes.

Her heart swelled, he was hers and she wanted to spend her life protecting this beautiful man. She wondered if he would inspire that feeling in her years from now, and just the thought of years...force years with him made her smile again. 

She was looking at his plush lips again, more than tempted to steal another kiss. 

“Are you going to stare all day or are you going to climb in with me?” The cocky bastard was smirking at her with a single eye open. 

He reached out a hand taking hers and with a smile and a quick tug he pulled her into his embrace and started covering her face in light kisses tickling her sides. She was laughing now, “Ben...omg…Ben” she said between her giggles, he kept kissing her and throwing off the blanket, flipped her on her back so she was pinned under him. 

“Do” kiss “you” kiss “yield.”

“Never,” and she laughed as she flipped them again and claimed a kiss that left her blood singing and her body tingling. His tongue she decides is a thing of magic as it twists with her own, pulling sexy low growling groans from him. His plush pillowy lips were soft and perfect as they slipped and gracefully moved against hers. 

They moved against each other now with sudden desperation, her core rubbed just the right way over his hardening member as she rolled her hips. His lack of pants leaving them both gasping and groaning into each other’s mouths. One of his giant hands was snaking up her back finding its purchase as it grasped her neck as he deepened the kiss. His other hand was tightly groping her ass and started rolling her up and down harder against his dick, repeatedly hitting that spot that made them both see stars. 

He pulled away from her as they continued to rut against each other, “Rey,” he gasped as his eyes locked on hers. He was reaching a peak of exquisite pleasure and couldn’t stop, and from the pinched look of her beautiful face, she was as close as he was. 

“Rey.” He gasped again as the bond fully opened as he came his eyes rolling back, his ecstasy pushing her over the edge as she ground against him a final time before collapsing in a sweaty mess on his chest. 

He held her against him as their breaths evened out and he ran his fingers through his now damp hair. “Wow, that uh was...wow,” he stuttered. 

“Yes,” she answered and laid down her head pressing her ear to his chest as arms wrapped around her holding her close. 

He made a noise between a snort and a laugh, “I am definitely going to need shower again.” 

This caused her to fall into a fit of giggles and he tickled her side earning squeals of delight. He flipped her under him again and with a smile kissed her nose, then jumped out of bed and tossed on his pants, wincing for a moment as they were slid over the growing wet spot. Then the former dark lord, supreme leader of the First Order, grandson of Vader practically skipped off to the fresher. 

Rey laid there with her chest still heaving unable to keep the smile off her face. The universe had literally blown up around them as the world was falling to pieces, but if that experience was a preview of life with Ben, then this was one hell of a reward for two lifetimes of suffering. She couldn’t wait until they were alone in the safe house. 

Getting him naked was her next goal.


	3. A man needs to keep up his strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well it can’t be all fun and games of lets hide the space sausage. Our space babies need to start working through their shit before we get to the nooky. I mean Maz isn’t that patient that she’d allow the horizontal mambo in her space taxi. 
> 
> Remember I’m going sans beta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JJ is pompous dick. 
> 
> But my saving grace is Adam is hosting SNL in January which inspired me to finish this chapter tonight.

According to Maz they had been traveling for two standard days and had a another few hours to go. Ben’s leg still aches every so often, but he had never felt more alive and alert. He decided to raid the cruiser’s kitchen, as two days of sleeping, amongst other activities, had left him starving. Thankfully Maz was prepared and there were all sorts of rations and drinks and he rummaged through the cupboards taking inventory: standard ration packs, bantha jerky, chips and canned fruits from Naboo. Yep that would do.

He bit into roasted kajaka root he had just reconstituted and groaned from the sensations rolling over his tongue. He didn’t care if it was the ration version, this tasted heavenly, even the pink topping he hated as a child was bursting with flavor. 

Rey...she absolutely had to taste this. 

Ben made his way up to the cockpit with a bag of toasted moss chips and bowl of kajaka and clumsily sat down with an oof in one of the back seats stuffing chips into his mouth. Rey turned with an incredulous look. 

“Ben?” 

Ben smiled with a mouthful of chips and shoved the bowl at her. 

“Benjamin Chewbacca Solo! I have no doubt your mother taught you table manners.”

Ben has the good sense to look a bit sheepish, but continued smiling as he reached around Rey to grab another kajaka from the bowl and stuffed it in his mouth 

Maz chuckled, “If only his royal princeliness Bail could see his only grandson.”

Rey’s was deep in thought and turned back to Ben who was munching happily on his chips. 

“Leia was royal?” She asked hesitantly, not really wanting an answer. 

Maz started laughing, “Leia Organa Solo, Princess of Alderan. Adopted daughter of his Serene Highness Bail Organa, Prince of Alderan. Biological daughter of Queen Padme of the House of Naberrie. The general was the one and only Princess Leia who may have ran off and married a pirate, resulting in the man currently getting crumbs all over my cockpit,” she finished with a condescending look that bore no malice. 

Maz shook her head and turned back to the view screen.

By now Rey was stunned, royal….he was royal. She looked back at Ben horrified. He just smiled back with that goofy grin that crinkled around his eyes.

“You should eat that,” he mumbled between bites.

She turned back to the viewport looked down skeptically at her bowl. 

“I’m used to rations.” Behind her, Ben stopped smiling and swallowed. 

Maz spoke first, “Child, have you ever eaten anything but portions?”

Screwing her face up, she replied, “Fish, milk, a few noodles….”

She wasn’t opposed to eating something new, but it was orange and pink. That didn’t seem normal. 

She let out a squeak as Ben swiveled her chair around to face him. Grabbing a piece of root, he broke it a part and with a smile held up a chunk to her lips. She opened her mouth and he popped in the piece. 

The orange thing was sweet, kind of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pink stuff was almost sour, she scrunched up her nose a bit and swallowed.

He smiled softly at her. “It’s ok,” she reported as she smiled back at him. 

“Go slow child, you have all the time in the world to explore new food.” Maz patted her arm. “You’ll be sick if you eat to much, goes for you also big guy.”

Ben rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead, “eat, then we should watch a holovid. I haven’t seen once since I was ten.”

“Go...both of you...get out of my cockpit,” the old alien cackled.

Ben pulled Rey onto the lounge with him as he turned on the holonet. She curled into his side as he found a comedy from when he was a child.

Wrapping an arm around her, he kissed the top of her head. 

As the show played on he was transported back to a time with his parents on Chandrilla. He was sitting on the lounge as his mother prepared (with that scary kitchen droid) dinner and his father guffawed over the program. That was one of the most normal, non Jedi, non force nights he can remember before the academy. His parents were home, they weren’t fighting and the voices in his head were blessedly quiet for once. Palpatine must have been busy that night. He shut his eyes and sighed deeply as a wave of grief started to overtake him. 

She shifted from his side to look into his eyes, “Ben.”

“He took everything from us...didn’t he? And it still wasn’t enough for him.”

She only nodded and curled back against him as he took her hand kissing it gently and then entwining their fingers on his chest. 

“Now that he’s finally gone…” he paused for a moment deep in thought, “my...my...mother she never really had a chance, did she?” 

Tears were streaming down his face now, as she sat up and crawled onto his lap straddling his thighs. 

Rey wiped his tears.

“He didn’t take everything, we’re still here. That monster,”she spat, “didn’t win in the end if we live, and as long as we keep living in spite of it all.” She was cradling the sides of his head staring him down. Once more she saw that scared and lost little boy reflected in his eyes and she cursed her grandfather for the hell he’d wrought on both their families. Ben crushed himself to her and started sobbing. She held him as he cried soaking her shirt as he buried his face into her chest. He calmed after a time and took a few heaving breaths.

“I love you,” he said as looked up with tear streaked eyes.

“And I love you,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion and her own tears falling now as she captured his lips in a gentle kiss.

He pressed his ear against her chest, listening to the heart that he had nearly lost. 

After a few minutes, he sniffled and looking up he rested his chin on her chest and gave her a watery smile. “I’m a mess.”

She smiled and brushed the hair out of his face, placing a kiss to his forehead.  
“That’s ok, you’re my mess, and sadly for you, you’re stuck with me now.”

She kissed him one last time and climbed off his lap, grabbing his hands and tugging him to follow as she arranged him to lay on the lounge with his head in her lap. They watched the holovid for a while as she repeatedly threaded her fingers through his hair and after several minutes his breaths finally evened out as he drifted off to sleep. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, two days ago she’d been dead. They’d nearly lost this chance because of her grandfather. That piece of bantha fodder had destroyed all but one member of the Skywalker family. Killed his own child and left his granddaughter to starve to death as a slave on a desert planet. Some crappy legacy she had. She’d heard snippets about the emperor on Jakku and on base. But it was the type of subject that was only whispered about. She didn’t want to know about him...ever. He was a specter that could stay buried beneath a mountain of rubble. Asshole. He’d never hurt them again.

The overhead light blinked signaling their descent into the atmosphere, she bent over kissing his temple. “Ben...Ben...we’re here” She whispered trying to gently wake him. He groaned in response and squeezed her legs and then the little shit fake bit her leg causing her to squeal and swat him. 

For a man of his size he was able to pop up quickly from a lying position, yanking her along with him. “Let’s go see our new home.”


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The space taxi reaches our love nest planet. Ben finds out his scoundrel father had a hell of a back up plan with space mama.  
> Chapter 4 no smut. Seriously this boy needs to get laid stat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All day....still in mourning from TROS. JJ sucks and Kathleen Kennedy should get canned. Please for the love of god release an alternate happy ending. Thank you all my crazy nerds. I love you, we’re all in this shit hole together. Again no Beta, no idea how to get the italics to work, or to add a sexy Ben pic.

Maz piloted the cruiser into a woodland area in a valley near a great ridge of mountains. It must have been late spring here as the mountains still held stubbornly onto the last of their white peaks. The valley itself was green and lush with a smattering of lovely blue and white flowers in the small clearing that looked like a tapestry in a castle she had seen once in a book of Leia’s. 

After Crait all of Leia’s personal belongings left in this universe had been what was stashed in secret compartments on the Falcon. Rey had found a picture book of Alderaan under a sleeping berth, the pages had turned yellow and brittle after sitting in the Jakku desert for years, but the pictures still held some of their past vibrancy as she carefully turned the pages as Leia quietly sipped her tea and watched the stars go by. 

It had been such a peaceful night, the rebellion had regrouped and was traveling to a distant base far away from the core worlds. The Falcon was blessedly empty as it was just Kadel, Chewie, Leia and herself on the ship. 

It was also the first night the bond had reopened between them. She was the last one left in the lounge, still carefully studying the pictures, tracing them gently with her fingers when the sound and air was sucked out of the room. She hadn’t seen him in weeks since she had shut the door on this very ship. He was sitting on the floor across the room, his knees bent nearly up this his chest, a bottle perched precariously between them and his stomach. His hair fell in messy black waves and looked as if he’d hadn’t combed it in days. 

They stared at each other for a moment.

Ben knew he was pissed drunk. Snoke was gone, but the darkness on his soul weighed him down and the Corellian brandy was the only way to numb the coldness that he could never escape. He was in fact so drunk that he was picturing Rey sitting across from him. She was still heartbreakingly beautiful. Her hair was down in soft waves the way it always was in his dreams. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through it, bury his nose in it and pull her close. But the force was cruel and she wasn’t really here. Life was always painful and his drunken mind just had to conjure his greatest heartache.

“Why didn't you take my hand?” He sounded so anguished, his pale skin highlighted by the dark shadows under his eyes. “Why did you leave me to this?” His clouded drink addled mind broke then, and he dropped the bottle with a loud clank, causing Rey to start, and rested his head in his hands as he started screaming while rocking back and forth. 

She couldn’t even speak, her every instinct was to crawl on the floor and hold him and comfort him. But he had made his choice, even if her heart broke watching him in so much torment. This was Ben not Kylo, somehow she knew that and it was Ben whose hand she had wanted so desperately to take. To see him now was breaking her heart.

The bond closed and she was left with wet cheeks and fat teardrops falling onto the pictures of a long dead and darkened world. If only she had known then the truth, that he never really had a choice. She would’ve gone to him that night.

But now the sun has returned and cast out the darkness that had haunted the universe for decades, and she was on a lovely lush green planet and Ben had won his battle against Kylo. She was holding his hand as the first breath of fresh air hit her lungs. 

“Let’s go you two,” as Maz sauntered down the ramp past them. Ben tugged her hand garnering a joyous laugh as they followed after into the woods. Not far off in the clearing was an ancient small stucco house with a thatched roof. It had little paned windows of diamond shaped glass and a chimney made of brown stone. She could hear birds chirping and the sounds of water running nearby. 

She was in a daze as Maz punched in the code for the door and she followed Ben into the cottage. 

“I stopped in a few weeks ago and started the cleaning droids. I knew the time was close.” Rey was still speechless as she followed Maz and Ben from room to room.

Ben was also silent as they made their way through the home. Something was tugging at long forgotten memories as Maz gave them a tour. 

Secret exit, check. Speeder in the shed out the back door, check. full pantry, check. Nearby village to get new clothes and restock, check. That’s when he saw it. In the hallway was a wooden box he had opened many times as a child. He released Rey and with shaking hands he lifted the lid. Time stopped as he saw the top picture, it was of his parents the day he was born, his mother still in a hospital gown on a gurney as his father looked down with a smile at a dark haired baby asleep in her arms. They were so young and happy in this picture and his heart hurt for the sadness they had been forced to endure. 

He took a deep breath and carefully shut the lid again. There would be time for this another day. 

He finally spoke, “Maz, who’s house is this?” 

“Your’s Solo.” 

Rey finally found her voice, “you said it was a safehouse.”

“Come sit down.” Was Maz’s reply as she made her way to the front room and sat in a chair by the great fireplace.

Ben and Rey followed sitting on the couch in front of her. Ben ran a hand though his hair. He was seeing it now. Many of the furnishings had been from their home on Chandrilla. He looked at Maz with wide eyes. “How?” He finally questioned.

“Han Solo was many things, but first and foremost he was your father and he always had a back-up plan. He believed there was hope you would come back.” She continued after a bit, “Your mother came to me many years ago as she had a vision of you and this place,” she paused for a moment and patted him on the knee. “Dear boy, she knew that you were coming back then, but that she wouldn’t be here. She sent Han on a mission to find the place she had seen in her vision. It took him years, half of which I suspect they weren’t speaking, but he found it and quietly transported everything here. I don’t know if the general ever knew he had finished.”

Ben didn’t even realize he was crying. Once again, dad had saved their asses. 

“She saw you too,” she said looking now at Rey. “Maz, I saw a lovely girl with a big smile and brown hair with Ben, she told me,”

“I have one more thing for you...two actually.” Maz rummaged through the satchel at her side and pulled out two credit chips and reaching out placed them in Ben’s upturned hand. He stared at them for a moment and looked back at Maz questioningly. 

“Young Solo, you are the last of the Alderanian Royal family. Did you think your mother would see you return only to be a pauper? There is enough there for you to live out many lives and then some.”

Ben was overwhelmed. Somehow his parents knew, even in the darkest times, they knew. He desperately needed air. And without a word he got up and walked outside following the sound of the creek. He sank to his knees on the bank of creek and cried for the parents who had lost everything, but who had still made sure their child was safe.

“Why?! Why?!” He yelled into the forest.

“Son.” He stood and turned to look straight into the eyes of his dead mother.” 

“Mom?”

“Oh son,” her ghostly visage walked towards him. She was so small, had she always been so short?

“Ben,” she as she walked up to him, raising a hand to his cheek. He bent down feeling her phantom touch. 

She smiled up at him, “You’ve become such a handsome young man.” 

“Mom, I’m so sorry for everything,” he managed to croak out.

“Ben, I should have moved the universe to protect you. Luke and I should have known it was Palpatine all along and stopped this.” She smiled softly and continued. “ But you are here now and your both safe.”

“Did you know?” Rey had given him the space he needed, but she had felt the shift in the force and ran to find him.

Leia smiled softly at Rey. “Han and I suspected. I had seen you before in visions but we could never pin down where you were, or who you had come from.” “Know that we love you both so very much.” “We are at peace, please take care of each other and be happy.” 

“Mom, please don’t go,” Ben pleaded with her.

She smiled at him, “I will always be close. May the force be with you, always.”

With a nod to Maz, Leia’s shimmering force ghost faded away. 

Rey ran to Ben and he lifted her off the ground crushing her to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her face in his hair. 

“I love you, I love you so much,” she whispered over and over kissing his hair.

His whole world was in his arms, and he’d fight the entire universe again just to keep this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I’m a fucking sap.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These two are a bit incompetent and needs supervision, but we love them anyway. Took me a few chapters but we have some smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear JJ your movie sucks, you suck and your box office sucks. Perhaps we screwed up eh?  
> Welcome to my cathartic attempt at dealing with that shit show. I’m really tired and drove for hours to get here for Xmas and I’m writing without a Beta so I’ll fix what ever screw ups I find....probably during mass tomorrow.

“So do you know how to cook?” 

“Portions,” Rey replied shaking her head.

Maz had left them several hours earlier with a promise to return in a month’s time. They had been given clear instructions to in the meantime lay low and stick near the homestead. The next several hours were spent stealing kisses as they explored the area surrounding their new home, but now he was starving again and food was needed.

Presently, they were staring at the kitchen appliances trying to figure out how to cook something other than rations.

Ben screwed his face up. “We are two very intelligent and powerful people with advanced mechanical skills, we can figure this out. It’s just Bantha steaks how hard can it be?” They indeed had figured out the defroster together by randomly hitting a few buttons. 

Rey was a bit more doubtful that their skill set applied here. “We need a kitchen droid, maybe they have one in town?”

“No...absolutely not, one of those things tried to kill me as a kid.” 

She wasn’t entirely sure if he was joking, but if the serious look on his face was an indication that probably had happened. Something to file away for another time.

He was now leaning down trying to figure out what the buttons meant, which didn’t help him at all. He could speak about 15 dialects, but apparently his father had lifted this knockoff unit from a sketchy ship in the outer rim. Maybe dad had left the instructions somewhere and that led Ben to start rifling through drawers, pulling out the contents. 

Rey was struck with domesticity of it all, and she couldn’t help but smile as he let out a whoop of triumph from finding a book of cooking instructions. 

Was there anything hotter than her dark prince cooking, or in this case trying to cook? Rey popped herself up on the counter as she watched him busying himself as he searched the pantry for spices. He was single minded in his focus to create their first meal and she was smiling at him as he attempted to fry the steaks and root vegetables. 

“Shit,” he said as he burnt his finger on the pan. “Ow.”

Ok, he was actually a bit of a dork, albeit a hot dork.

“Come here.” She grabbed his black shirt as he held the damaged finger out to her. She forced healed it and then kissed it for good measure. With a quick peck to her lips and a smile he finished cooking their meal. 

It was absolutely terrible, tough and over cooked, but they both ate with gusto and laughter at the dining room table.

“This is shit, isn’t it?” He was laughing again and that sound was something that brought her joy. 

“It’s not soooo bad, for a first attempt and I really have no basis for making a judgement.” She had been brave and tried a bit of everything he’d made.

“We should clean this up.” She said looking forlornly at the kitchen as she brought their plates in, surveying the damage of cooking adventure number one. 

“No.”

“No?”

“No, leave it for morning.”

She turned from the destroyed sink, to see him leaning with his arms crossed and a roguish smirk against the door frame.

“I’m not cleaning this after it dries all night.”

He held out his hand to her and she sighed as he pulled her in for a kiss.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile.

“For what.”

“For never giving up on me.”

Her poor sweet boy. She gently kissed him back. But after spending the last few days with him, holding him, she felt the desire for him building in her belly as she surged up again to capture his lips.

He was lost in this, the feeling of her lips against his and her soft body pressed close. And it wasn’t close enough. 

He reached down grabbing her ass and with a firm hand hauled her up as she wrapped her legs around him, her core rubbing against his hardening dick in the most delicious manner on the way up. He flipped them around so she was flat against the wall, his body weight now holding her up as he ravaged her mouth until they were both breathless. 

Her head tilted back against the wall behind her as he turned his attention to exploring her neck. Force she smelled good, and the way she was scraping her nails through his hair was driving him crazy. She was whimpering now as he sucked a spot on to her collarbone.

“Ben...Ben…” She sounded as wrecked as he felt. 

Her hands left his hair as she pulled his mouth up to hers for another searing kiss. She pulled back, growling out, “bedroom now.”

He nodded and carried her to their room. Placing a knee on the bed he gently laid her down on the bed kissing down her neck.

Except now that he had her here the Solo bravado started to fade and he felt he might be on the verge of self-combustion. In fact his chest was tightening and he thought he might vomit. What if he was shit at this too. He sat back on his haunches and ran a hand through those messy dark locks and took a few gulping breaths to try and stave off a panic attack.

Sensing his sudden distress, Rey sat up on her knees pulling him close. She brushed the hair out of his eyes giving him a small smile. “We have all the time we could ever want. We don’t have to do anything but sleep.” 

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. I want to do this, I just...I’ve never.” and he gestured his hand over the bed with a pained look on his face.

“Neither have I,” she admitted. “Let’s just get ready for bed, I still need to see if I can find anything to sleep in.”

Ben nodded and forlornly climbed off the bed to start rifling through drawers. 

His parents had been quite thorough, but clearly had guessed at his size. All he could find were a pair of sleeping pants that fit. Maybe he could get an arm into that shirt….if he used the neck hole. Shaking his head he put it aside. 

She was watching him as he searched. “I am really hoping that your dad didn’t pick out any clothes for me. Can you imagine the great Han Solo rifling through girls things.”

The very thought was ridiculous and brought Ben out of his funk as he pictured his dad rifling through ladies undergarments at a market. He smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach his eyes and tossed the small shirt to Rey. “This may fit you.”

Rey left for the fresher and Ben changed into the sleeping pants. Force! He was such a kriffing mess. He didn’t want to spend his life vacillating between emotional highs and lows, Rey deserved better than an emotional wreck of a man.

With that grim thought he climbed onto the bed banging the back of his head back into the wall for good measure.

Ben clearly had not been thinking tossing Rey that shirt, because what stepped out of the fresher was a goddess in a black t-shirt. She had pulled her hair down and it now fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Her legs were bare and were exposed nearly up to her tanned thighs. And the look on her face. That look. 

Ben swallowed as she climbed into bed. There was no way this night was ending with his dignity in tact.

******************  
Rey had come to the conclusion standing in the fresher that there was no time like the present to put him out of his misery. She was sending a silent thank you up to the universe to Rose right now who had detailed a very explicit sexual act that would hopefully calm his nerves. It had only been 3 days and he clearly needed more time.

She walked out to find Ben sitting on the bed in very low slung sleeping pants and nothing else. What a stupidly beautiful man, his dark hair and his dark pants contrasting with his alabaster skin. She was fairly certain a few of her best dreams started this way. 

She saw him visibly swallow looking her up and down and then it was her turn to smirk. 

Rey climbed onto the bed beside him, kissing his cheek and then crawled onto his lap straddling his thighs. “I know you’re nervous, but it’s just me and I love you.” She kissed him once more for good measure. “Soooo, I am wondering if you trust me to let me try something?”

Ben wasn’t sure he would be able to speak so he nodded yes.

“You don’t have to do anything just sit there I’ll take care of everything.” 

She kissed him gently on the corner of his mouth and then started kissing down his cheeks following to his jaw, then nibbling a trail down his neck while running her fingers over his taught pecs. How one man could be this solid was unreal. She left open mouth kisses on her way down his chest and licked his pecs. “Rey,” he groaned as her tongue flicked over each nipple in turn. Her hands made their way down to the thatch of dark hair and she hooked her thumbs in his waistband and looked up at him questioningly.

“Is this still all right?” She sweetly asked.

He was still rendered unable to speak so he nodded again in acquiescence. 

Rey gently pulled down his sleeping pants to expose his very red, very thick and very angry looking member. 

Ben decided at that point he really had died and become one with the force because Rey’s hands were currently on his dick, with her thumb swiping at the pre-come leaking from the tip.

He also wasn’t sure if he was forming words because while his ability to speak had returned he was probably just babbling incoherently. Rey dropped her head down to lick the tip, causing his head to bang back into the wall again. 

“Oh force,” He whined out as she began to lick it very...very thoroughly. And just when he thought he couldn’t take anymore, her mouth came around the tip and she began swallowing him whole. 

What she couldn’t get in her mouth she grasped with her tiny hands as she sucked the life right out of him bobbing her head up and down.

He was fairly certain his eyes rolled back into his head but he still wanted to see her mouth stuffed full of his cock, so with great effort he was able to look down at where she was working him. She was exquisite as she looked up at him with her darkened eyes and her mouth full of his dick. 

He was so close. and he wanted nothing more than to grab her hair and start thrusting into her perfect hot mouth. 

“ Do it.” He heard whispered across the bond. “Let go.”

He took one of his hands and grasped her hair and started gently thrusting up. He started swearing in multiple languages as he thrust a little bit deeper and she hummed around his dick in response. He felt his balls draw up then and he saw stars as his spend pulsed down her throat. 

He was fairly certain he actually lost consciousness for a few seconds but he came back around and she released his dick with an obscene sucking noise and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She was smiling at him and all he seemed capable of was staring in awe. 

He leaned forward to pull her close and kissed her, his tongue begging for entrance as he tried to pour all of his feelings into a single kiss. She tasted like him and he really shouldn’t find that so hot. 

He pulled back once his lungs required air to look at her reverently as he was overcome with emotion. She had that bright smile back on her face, the one that lit up is life.

“Sweetheart, you are amazing.” He was finally able to get out. Curse his injured body as he was now fading fast. She just smiled at him and arranged them under the covers. He tried so hard to stay awake, but she was so warm and curled up with her head on his chest that he was crashed in half a minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Rey is going to need some Vitamin D soon.


	6. It’s universally acknowledged: Ben is beautiful when he’s asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas, I decided to write porn for Christmas. Our space babies needed to rip off the bandaid and lose their V cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 post that shit ass movie that I still am nearly in tears over daily. I haven’t written a sex scene in years so dear god, be patient with me. Just a quick, let’s get our girl some vitamin D, she deserves it!

As dawn broke outside their home Rey woke to the sound of hundreds of birds chirping merrily outside their bedroom window. She stretched lazily and turned over to one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. The first rays of sunlight were casting a warm glow throughout the cozy room. Ben was laying on his stomach fast asleep on the pillow next to her. His dark fringe messily falling around him and spilling onto the creamy sheets. 

Every day they were together he seemed to lose centuries of age, Kylo was the mask that he wore and now that mask was gone. She leaned over to lightly brush a kiss against his cheek and laid back to watch him peacefully sleep. After a time he slowly opened his dark eyes and graced her with a sleepy smile. 

“It’s too early,” he said quietly.

She smiled back and ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his cheeks, it was a gesture that always seemed to make him purr with contentment. He smiled again and snuggled deeper into the pillows. “Come here,” he said as he shifted on his side opening his arms. Rey turned as he spooned her, nuzzling into her hair. A girl could get used to a sleepy and cuddly Ben Solo. 

“Love you,” he mumbled into her hair as his hands started wandering over her body, one large hand made its way slowly under her shirt to start caressing her stomach. 

That fire started burning in her again as that hand made its way up to her breasts, the flat of his palm just skimming over the now taught peaks. “You’re so soft,” he whispered. “I could touch you forever.”

“Ben,” she was now writhing as his hand then dipped lower cupping her sex. 

“You’re so warm...I want to wake up every single day with you.” Force he was destroying her.

Ben’s fingers snaked their way down the front of her panties stroking her. “Oh Gods!” A single digit slipped over her folds and he started kissing her neck sucking bruises into her skin and then tentatively that teasing finger dipped in and he began gently thrusting. 

“You were so beautiful last night sucking my dick." He grazed his teeth lightly over her ear. "Sweetheart, it was unbelievable seeing you choking on me.” He added a second finger as she began whimpering and grinding against him. She could feel him hard behind her, and as he thrust into her with his hand, his hips gently rutted against her backside. 

“Ben, oh force don’t stop,” she cried as he sped up his fingers. She’d never felt anything like this, her fingers never ever came close to this. She was on fire and was on the verge of screaming. He flattened his hand against her, hitting her clit now with each stroke. 

“I want to hear you scream sweetheart,"he growled at her ear as she shattered around him shouting his name. He pumped her a few more times before withdrawing his fingers and she heard an obscene sucking sound as he licked them clean.

She rolled onto her back and pulled him on top of her as her breathing calmed. She just wanted to feel the comfort of his weight on her.

“I don’t want to ever hurt you again,” he said quietly. His low voice made her squirm and she wanted nothing more than to join with him

Rey ran her hands up his firm arms as he was propped up over her. “You won’t. I love you and I want this as much as you do.” 

He looked absolutely desperate as he dropped down to kiss her softly. “I want you on top.” 

She nodded.

Sitting up, Rey quickly stripped off her shirt and soaked panties as he divested of his sleeping pants.

She crawled up onto him as they both reached down to guide him into her.

She slowly sank down on his rigid length as he stroked her back. Ben threaded his fingers through her hair as he spoke filthy words of encouragement in her ear, how beautiful she was, how powerful, how long he’d wanted her. 

She was already aware that Ben was huge and thick, she felt it, she'd had that in her mouth, and it burned and stretched in the most delicious way as their hips finally met. 

He waited for a moment as she became used to him. She was overwhelmed by the feelings their coupling brought and buried her face in his neck breathing him in. His hand was carding through her hair as the other gripped her ass as he slowly built a rhythm. She opened the bond and felt his emotions, felt his love and the pleasure he was feeling and she laid her head back down on his shoulder as she continued to slowly ride him. He held her so gently in his arms, one hand cradling her neck as the other wrapped around her waist. Her gentle giant of a man was being so careful with her.

“I love you,” he groaned as he spilled in her. She had never felt so complete.

He held her close until he finally softened and slipped out of her, his spend leaking between them. He kissed her forehead before cleaning up in the fresher. Minutes later she felt the bed dip as he returned and gathered her back into his arms, the place she felt the safest and where the sound of his heart lulled her back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took the entire bottle of wine to write this crap. Love you all!
> 
> I’m going to read this tomorrow and go WTF!


	7. That sound, it's your ovaries exploding.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben Solo and his lady love are basking in the afterglow of finally doing the deed. But it's time to leave the love nest because while papa Solo and Uncle Chewie were very thorough, but they didn't exactly buy Rey clothes, or anticipate Ben's massive pecs and guns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JJ Abrams, we got your number. You changed the ending sometime in December. The HEA exists. Stop being a dick and fix the fucking movie, you narcissistic num nuts. Not one more dollar will go to Disney until I get my Ben saved. NOT ONE...kiss Marvel good bye also.

Rey woke to the sound of music softly playing from another room. She stretched lazily, wincing at the soreness between her legs.

She was loath to move yet, so she began taking stock of their bedroom. Their bedroom, the thought brought a smile to her face. While the room was sparsely decorated it was still cozy, a literal hodgepodge of soft fabrics and drapes. There were two windows. The one facing the back of the home looked out towards the creek that babbled not far from their doorstep. She wondered if it was safe to keep open at night, so she could listen. 

How was it that only a few days ago they were fighting a war? Now she and Ben were safely hidden, far from danger in a quiet peaceful corner of the universe somehow untouched by decades of conflict. This could have turned out so differently, so very easily. Part of her felt she should feel guilty for leaving her friends behind. She knew they had all lost people they loved during the war. At the same time she couldn’t bring herself to even consider returning. Ben was her home. 

She was still undressed and a quick check in between her legs made it clear that she needed a shower as she had their combined spend and bit of dried blood, and she grimaced...it was on the sheets. Pity, she would like to have tried that again today. She giggled when the crazy thought occurred to her that maybe force healing would speed things up. Would it be an inappropriate use of the force if no one was around to chide her for it? Would that be the opportune moment when Luke showed up? 

Yikes what if they were watching all the time, she hadn’t considered that. No she wasn’t going to go down that path. The best course of action was a shower and to change the sheets. 

The shower felt heavenly but it was clear that she was out of commission for a while. Even the washcloth hurt touching her nether regions. Her man was big and they were going to have to practice...a lot. What a wicked idea, and she dried herself off. Picking up her garments from the bedroom, she realized one thing was for certain, she was going to need new clothes. 

After dressing she made her way out to the kitchen where Ben Solo was dancing around to some sort of techno music. She started giggling as he twirled with a spoon while he stirred their breakfast. Without missing a beat, he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around the kitchen picking her up and depositing her on the counter with a goofy grin. 

“Good morning,” he said with a kiss. 

“Good morning,” She laughed kissing him back. 

He went back to business and soon she had a heaping plate handed to her as he settled in next to her leaning on the counter. 

Their poor kitchen looked atrocious so after he was finished she smacked him on the ass and sent him into the front room. He had figured out how to cook so the least she could do was clean. Thankfully he turned down whatever that music was. 

Ben still had that goofy, I just got laid, look on his face as he lounged on the couch. 

“Hi,” she said as he pulled her into his arms.

“Hi,” he had that smile where it reached all the way to his eyes as they crinkled with delight. It was by far her favorite as it was the one that said he was truly happy. 

“I love it when you smile,” she told him laying her head down on his chest and snuggling close.

“I have every reason in the universe to be happy right here.” He squeezed her and kissed the top of her forehead before continuing. “Are you happy?” 

She rolled a bit and folded her arms on his chest resting her chin on them to look him in the eye. “I have you, I don’t need anything else.” He pulled her up to his mouth and started to kiss her, their tongues intertwining as his hands started to explore. He flipped them over so she was caged by his arms. His kisses became passionate again as he began licking into her mouth, he went to rub his hardening cock against her core in the way that made her see stars when she winced from the soreness. 

“Rey?” He looked terribly concerned, she knew he was worried that he might hurt her and she could feel him starting to panic. 

“Stop. I promise it’s a good pain. I did know what I was getting into after last night.”

“What you were getting into?” Now he was definitely starting to panic, she was in pain and he had caused it. Even when he had tried desperately to be as gentle as possible.

She laughed at him sweetly. “Are you not aware that you are rather well endowed for a humanoid?”

“No.” He replied cautiously scrunching up his face a bit.

“Trust me, It’s a good thing.”

She could tell he was still completely confused. “Ben, that was my first time and it's supposed to hurt a bit, that will go away in the future.”

He wasn’t entirely sure he believed her but he nodded slightly, he rolled back over onto this side as she stared at him.  
Rey at least had the benefit of some sex education from the ladies on Jakku and her darling Rose. She had also been given an implant, just in case, when she was on base a few months ago. This poor sweet boy, had really been cut off from everything. “Did anyone ever talk to you about sex?”

Now he was just embarrassed, he knew the basics, he had managed to complete the act. Of course knew he passion, that was a hallmark of the Darkside and Rey certainly inspired passion in him. But he had been so young when he left for the Academy and Jedi weren’t allowed to love. This, the love between them certainly would never have been allowed. 

He could feel his ears burning and knew he was turning bright red, but she saved him as usual with an understanding smile and a quick kiss. 

“I promise that it felt amazing and it won’t hurt again. In fact I cannot wait to bed you again,” she said with a smirk. “Because I plan on doing that every single day. I have the privilege of having the hottest man in the galaxy every night in my bed, how could I not want to touch him.” 

He scoffed at that. He remembered the other padawans at the Academy and the children on Chandrila before that, and how they made fun of his giant ears and gangley body. He remembered a particularly cruel ambassador who commented to his mother about his unfortunate looks and how he might grow into them. That memory must’ve seeped across the bond because she looked at him with sadness now. 

“Do you really have no idea how beautiful you are to me?” She traced his face gently.

He rolled his eyes at her, she was being completely ridiculous. He was well aware of how he looked.

“Do you remember the first time I saw you without your shirt on?” She continued, “I wanted nothing more than to hate you, but you were so beautiful and so very sad. And later all I really really thought about was how I wanted to run my hands up and down your very smooth pecs.”

Her hands had made their way under his shirt, and she started to tickled him mercilessly.  
Once they were done laughing he pulled her back into his arms and he contentedly sighed.

“OK Jedi girl, I will believe that you have terrible taste and leave it at that.” She’s scoffed at him in mock outrage and pinched his side once more for good measure, causing him to laugh and pin her arms. 

She snuggled back in against him. As much as she didn’t want to leave their nest she really needed clothes and she suspected that he was down to the one delicious shirt he was currently wearing. Maybe they could find a market that would sell something similar today. 

“We need to go into town for clothes today.” .

“Are you sure that walking around naked isn’t an option?” She would have pinched the cheeky little shit again if her arms weren’t already pinned down.

“Let’s see what we can use to disguise ourselves and head to the village.” 

*********************  
Town was a few hours away even with the speeder. Ben looked skeptically at the unit, the speeder was junk, but it worked and seemed to have power under the hood. Hopefully it was more reliable than the falcon, but he doubted that. Between the two of them, they should be able to keep this piece of fodder running for a while. 

Ben was wearing a hat, she thought that was a ridiculous disguise, but thankfully very few people knew what Kylo Ren actually looked like. And even if they did, this silly man somehow managed to look nothing like Kylo. 

Rey, that was harder. She tossed on one of Ben’s small T-shirts over her tunic and at his suggestion left her hair loose. She thought that was terribly impractical for speeder travel, and compromised that she could tie it back during the trip. 

Parking the speeder, they entered a market bustling with life. They wandered from stall to stall until they found an area with clothes. Ben was looking warily at shirts...shirts that were not black. It seemed strange after so long to add color to his wardrobe. He’d gone from being a child, to drab Jedi robes to all black. Maroon….that was something. He pictured Hux choking seeing it and took a deep breath. He could do color... some color. Grabbing a few shirts, pants and underwear he checked on Rey’s progress. 

She was a vision as she was spinning in front of a mirror in a flowing yellow dress. He was clearly stupid for her, she was so very pretty and looked so sweet in it. “Can I get it?” She asked him excitedly. 

Could she get it? He’d buy the entire market out if she kept looking at him like that. He nodded yes, and followed her as she flit from booth to booth. By the end he had a headache and was carrying multiple packages. 

He collapsed on a bench near their speeder as she finished in the last stall, piles of packages at his feet. Dear Force, would this ever end? He remembered vaguely his father refusing to accompany his mother on an excursion, apparently there had been some history and possibly the threat of blaster fire. Dad, I get it! He sent out to the universe, wherever you are, “I get it,” he muttered to himself. 

But then Rey was bounding over him with a smile on her face, and leaned down to kiss the scowl away. “I think I have enough, did you get everything you need?” She asked him innocently. He grunted in response, holding up his one bag. She looked skeptical, but helped gather up her packages as they tossed them into the back seat of the speeder. 

Ben then spotted something around the corner. There was a tiny, dirty little humanoid boy, he must have been about three years old sitting next to an old hut. Rey gasped at the site of the little one with tears in his eyes as he cried. She started to make her way to him, but Ben beat her to the punch, kneeling down in front of the scared little one. 

“Hello...I’m Ben.” The boy looked up at him with scared big brown eyes. “Are you lost?” The boy nodded yes in response. “Are your parents here?” 

“I can’t find mama,” then the little guy started crying in earnest. 

“Hey now, don’t cry, can we help you find her?” The little boy shook his head yes, and to Ben’s surprise held up his hands wanting to be picked up. Ben had never held a child before and had been cut off from human touch entirely for years, but he scooped him up and quietly asked, where he had last seen his mother. 

Rey had heard Rose once say after watching Finn race with Poe, that she was certain her ovaries might implode. She didn’t really understand that saying until she saw Ben holding a tiny child in his massive arms, and speaking to him in the most gentlest of tones. This was new information, in her wildest dreams or in her visions of them together, she had never conjured a child, not once, but now faced with this sight her world tilted on its axis. Ben was looking at her quizzically as he held out a hand, the other holding the small boy and they walked back to the market. He was asking the young one questions about his mother in very low tones, and soon the little one started to giggle and chatter as they arrived back at the market. 

“Liam! Liam!” They heard shouted out in the distance. “Mama!,” the little boy shouted in the return as he scrambled down from Ben’s arms and ran to the waiting embrace of his mother. 

Ben sighed. “Cute kid,” he said as he looked wistfully after him. He pulled Rey’s hand up to kiss it, “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no Beta...yes I have a basic plot and outline. Still rusty AF, but working through it. Sorry for the drunk Christmas morning posting on Chapter 6, but there was wine involved.


	8. Does he need a plaid shirt for this job?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben struggles with the plot. Rey gets to suddenly be in a cheap dime store novel bodice ripper. Just so we are clear, Ben’s shirtless and well oiled with flowing hair on the cover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have moved on to the rage stage of grief. Dear Bob Iger, please find a hole and then dump JJ and KK into said deep hole where they can do no more damage to the fandom. Go get a shit ton of money and bribes and back them up to Adam’s house so we can fix this shit. 
> 
> So let’s be honest, this chapter is an excuse to get his royal highness the last prince of Alderaan very nekkid! Do you remember that picture of Adam with the sheep. You know the one where he is half naked outside with a sheep on his shoulders for zero reason? Is it hot in here? Damn. Do I give them sheep for their love nest?

Ben was uncharacteristically quiet that evening. They had picked up blue milk and some produce (not that either of them knew what to do with it) at the market, but dinner was an easy affair of rations. She was worried, he had taken a book outside and was sitting propped up by a tree not far from the creek. She was fairly certain he wasn’t reading as he appeared to be deep in thought just watching the water flow by. 

Rey wanted to be respectful and give him space to think, but she also knew that he tended to dwell and wander down dark paths when he was stuck inside his own head for too long. This behavior she supposed was more than likely an after affect of Palpatine’s emotional abuse that he was trying to learn how to cope with.

After setting things back to rights and remaking the bed, she wandered out to join him.

“Do you want any company?”

He looked up and gave her a small smile holding out a hand. Nestling in between his legs; she rested herself back into his embrace. They sat like that for quite a while, it almost felt like meditating listening to the ebb and flow of the creek and the life and decay all around them.

“Tell me what your thinking,” she softly requested. He entwined their fingers and took a deep breath. Whatever it was that was troubling him, it was clearly difficult to talk about and she gave him time to find his words. 

“I was thinking about the boy we found today in the market. I was thinking that I wanted one of our own. But...I don’t want to burden a child with what we are, who we are. Does that make sense?”

She could hear the anguish in his voice. Rey didn’t realize that she could want something so much already that she had never considered before that day. Her single minded goal had been to get Ben back - whatever the cost, and quite frankly that also meant she would have given herself to the dark side soon. But there wasn’t anything beyond that moment where they escaped. No real tangible future that she could sink his teeth into. Now the thought of a child that looked like them, that had his dark hair and pretty eyes, was everything. Sadly he also had a point. The great grandchildren of Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader would have a crazy and terrible legacy to live with. Any child of theirs would also be incredibly powerful, terrifyingly powerful. But these theoretical children would also be the children of Ben Solo and Rey...she grimaced a bit...Palpatine.

She was hoping she chose her next words carefully enough. “We haven’t even been gone a week.” She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it gently before she continued. “I have an implant, so we don’t have to worry about this right now.” 

At this Ben let out an audible sigh of relief. She turned to face him, her hands around his neck and kissed him. “If it’s only every just you and I on this planet for the rest of our lives. I promise that will be enough.” She hoped her words gave him some comfort, even if they were hollow to her. But it was always true that she never wanted him to feel like he wasn’t enough.

His lovely eyes were filled with unshed tears and she wanted nothing more than to see him smiling. After a moment. He nodded and she sat back down in his embrace to watch the sunset.

************

The next few days they fell into a routine, Ben had been exploring the woods around the house and searching on a datapad Maz had left for any information on the planet that they now called home. He had been tempted to search the news wires for information on the battle they had left, but decided he wasn’t quite ready for that. Rey had told him what Maz had relayed regarding the wires and he decided to leave well enough alone for now. 

It was still spring in their valley and the temperature at night had been quite cool. Not that he minded snuggling Rey, but he would catch her shivering throughout the day and that was not acceptable.

His first attempt at the fireplace nearly ended in disaster as plumes of black smoke billowed into the room. He had been on the datapad desperately trying to figure out where he had gone wrong as Rey frantically opened the doors and windows. This was definitely not serving its purpose as she ended up wrapped in a comforter on the couch, even colder than before. 

As a dig at Luke he discovered Rey’s lightsaber was excellent for lighting fires. The effect of the fireplace was quite cozy as he held Rey in his arms while reading aloud to her from a book he had found in the evenings.

Unfortunately by the third day they were running low on firewood so he took it upon himself to figure out how that could be accomplished. He hadn’t trained since he had been hurt and he was relishing the burn of his muscles from exertion. Unfortunately that meant he was drenched in sweat under his maroon Henley. 

Rey’s eyes had gone wide when she saw him walk out that morning in something other than black. He was rather embarrassed but the look she was giving him and the very passionate kiss that followed made him think it was probably an ok choice of shirt. And if she liked it, he definitely didn’t want it ruined the first time he chopped firewood. Stripping it off he tossed it on a chair that they had brought outside by the back door. 

This is so much better, he thought wiping the sweat from his brow.

Rey had spent the last few days learning new recipes and trying to learn to cook with Ben. She was in the kitchen overseeing her latest attempt to make dinner when she chanced to look out the back window to see him stripping off that ridiculously hot shirt and exposing his sweaty torso. 

She nearly expired on the spot as he ran a hand through his damp hair. Shaking it a bit before he dropped the ax on another log. She was completely mesmerized by his thick muscles that were now dripping with sweat. 

Dinner would have to wait. She brought him a glass of cool water which he took with thanks dropping the ax. Then proceeded to drink it down in one shot. 

“What?” He asked. She smiled, but she had that look in her eyes, the one that said he was in trouble. Force she was beautiful, but she was always beautiful to him. Her hair was down and she was wearing that yellow dress that showed off her perfect tanned legs. She looked positively predatory staring at him and he swallowed slightly fearful. Taking the glass from him, she used her other hand to slowly draw patterns across his chest. 

“I had a dream that started this way,” she began, as she sat the glass down on the woodpile.. 

“Was it good dream?”

Both of her hands were now on his chest, and she leaned in to suck at one of his nipples causing him to gasp. “You took me fast and hard on your bed.”

“Rey,” he ground out. “You’re killing me.”

“Then I’ll just have to patch you up later.”

She grasped her arms around his neck and jumped, her legs wrapping around his waist. She was pretty sure he growled as he kissed her fiercely. Their tongues parried in a way they had not done since their last battle. “Bedroom” he let slip across the bond. Her kisses became more passionate as she tugged at his hair in the most tantalizing way. “Work with me here sweetheart” he pleaded, briefly breaking the kiss. 

She unwrapped her legs as he chased her mouth. She giggled and ran for their bedroom with him giving chase.

He scooped her up and tossed her on the bed, he wanted to absolutely devour her.

“You have the most beautiful legs,” he slid one of those giant hands underneath lifting a leg and started to leave open mouth kisses on her ankle, then her supple calf, her delightful knee. He crawled further on the bed and began licking and kissing upwards pushing her dress up. He wanted this dress off now and he was very tempted to rip it to shreds so he could suckle at her pretty tits. He yanked her up to his bare chest and began tugging and pulling the offending garment upward, she was more than willing to oblige, even if she thought him ripping it off sounded amazing. 

Her dress and breast band were yanked off, and he lowered his mouth to suck at a nipple. She groaned at the sensation, as his hands and mouth explored her thoroughly. “I dreamed of these,” he said pushing her perfect breasts together so he could lavish them with his tongue. He released them with a pop, “for so very long.” His eyes were so dark, dark enough that they looked black against his pale skin. 

He was heaving now, as she started to undo his pants desperately trying to release him. “Off now,” she growled. She pushed him down as she undid the fly and they worked to kick them to the floor. 

He barely had a chance to lie down when she mounted him. She was unbelievably wet and warm, and he thought he might expire from the sensations. He arched his back and groaned as her hips sank down on him fully and then she began to ride him with abandon. She looked positively ravishingly and wanton as she scratched and scraped at his chest. Her head tilted back in ecstasy. 

He surged up to mouth at her neck. His hands tightened in her hair to the point of near pain. But it drove her on to take what she needed. His hands were everywhere at once moving with increasing vigor, her toes were curling, she was losing her mind to this. “Ben,” she reached down to bring herself over the edge, but he batted her hand out the way with a growl, rubbing his fingers vigorously over her clit until she was screaming his name. She was still seeing stars as he flipped her on her back and began pounding into her with utter abandon. He couldn’t get close enough, not deep enough, and he lifted one of her perfect legs to open her wider and began pounding into her again.

He vaguely heard her screaming “harder” over and over, and he was determined to give her that as he snapped his hips driving her higher and higher on the bed. He was so very close as he gripped the headboard for more leverage. He felt her ripple around his cock until he was screaming her name and collapsing on top of her.

After a few moment of heaving breaths he pulled out of her slowly, shuddering at the sensation.

He collapsed next to her, his chest still heaving

Reaching over to her he grasped her hand.

“Wow….just wow.” He finally spoke.

She laughed prettily in response. “Wow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may need a cold shower, after I angry tweet Disney again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our darling space babies climb a literal mountain this time. Space taxi mom returns bearing a bit of news. Turns out our prince is a baron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh darn it...back onto this sort of bullshit plot. I learned a few hours ago that there is a second ending of that shit ass movie, for real, and darth JJ changed it all probably after Thanksgiving. So Bob Iger if you can hear me, release an alternate ending or you will never get another dime of mine!! So continues the journey of our darling space hero’s.

The next weeks passed quickly. Ben had regained his full strength and what time he didn’t spend tinkering and fussing over the speeder was spent in their bed, on the couch, in the shower, against trees, against walls and possibly on the countertops. Against the tree in retrospect had been a terrible idea and they had given up after the first scrape on her back. To her delight Ben decided eating her out was his new favorite past time and he’d continue with single minded determination until she’d pushed him away spent and over sensitive. She ensured the favor was consistently returned.

She loved that Ben was quirky, he loved dancing to terribly loud music and spinning her around their home. He also loved watching funny holovids and reading aloud to her every night. Hiking was his new passion and he’d drag Rey up the mountains with him in search of the best views of their valley. In his quiet moments he drew and practiced calligraphy with an art set they had found in the house. 

Maz had not shown yet and Rey was becoming increasingly concerned as she was now two standard weeks past her scheduled arrival time.  
She didn’t share this concern with Ben, not wanting to worry him. He had been so excited to scope out a new section of the mountain ridge and they were now presently standing near the top of the tree line and she was beyond exhausted. She sat down to rest, and Ben shot her a concerned look. 

“M’ok, just need a breather.”

He pulled out his drawing book and started sketching their pretty little valley. From what they could gather from the planets cycle, it was nearly summer and the blue and white flowers had given way to beautiful reds and the trees were even more lush. The peaks above them had lost their winter snows and were now a bare gray, tall and imposing above the treeline. 

She unpacked their lunch, nibbling on a few bites, handing a sandwich to Ben with a smile.

“Aren’t you hungry?” He asked. His woman could put down enough food for a dozen men and then come back for dessert. He especially enjoyed it when he was dessert.

“Not that hungry, just tired.”

He reached over and placed a hand on her forehead, a gesture he remembered his mother making when he was little. “Your not hot, I mean you are hot, just not actually hot.” She was giving him that look again, the you may be crazy look. 

“You know what I mean, you don’t feel like you have a fever.” She laughed at that and said, “finish your food Solo before you choke.”

He shook his head and dug in. She was unbelievably patient and pretty and the things she let him to do her made him giddy. Fuck the galaxy he could stay here forever.

He got that stupidly fond look on his face, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I love you.”

She smiled brightly and kissed him back. 

“Now you, finish your food and your latest drawing and get me back home before I fall asleep and you need to carry back down.”

“Yes ma’am” he said.

She was asleep on his shoulder where they leaned against an ancient tree as he finished his latest work. Their little valley, he would have to ask Maz if there were any documents that noted where their property lines were. Or if there were any documents at all. He knew they weren’t far from Naboo, in fact if he had a telescope he might be able to find the systems star from here at night. With a flourish of his pen he finished his latest landscape. Perfect! He thought, shutting the book. 

His beautiful girl was still out and adorably drooling on his shoulder. He was loathe to wake her and gently kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, time to go,” he whispered.” 

She was so very tired, but she supposed that falling asleep on the side of the mountain, even with her lightsaber was a bad idea.

Ben held out a hand to help her up and kissed her again for good measure as they made their way back down the mountain. She wasn’t thrilled with a two hour hike home, but the prospect of a hot shower and cuddling Ben tonight was motivating enough. 

The planet’s sun was setting as they finally wound their way back home. Forget the shower, she was an over cooked bantha steak and crawled into bed. 

**************

When she woke the next morning Ben’s side of the bed was empty, but she could hear the sound of voices from outside her door. Maz, she smiled and jumped out of bed for a quick shower.

She found Maz and Ben at the table. Maz, who was currently eyeing her up and down. 

“Your boy tells me you are ill.”

Rey cast a glare at him, “I’m fine, just tired because someone insists on climbing a mountain every day for the views.” 

“Here I assumed you were pregnant since this place smells like a Hutt brothel.”

At this Ben spat his coffee out and started coughing in alarm. 

Rey was watching him with some concern and whacked him on the back a few times to ensure he wasn’t choking. He was flushed red by the time he stopped. 

“Maz, I have an implant, sorry to disappoint.” Rey stumbled off to the kitchen for a strong cup of caf.

Maz was still looking at her skeptically when she sat her cup back down. 

“Maz was just filling me in.” He was adorable with his flushed cheeks, she would bet his ears were flushed under his silky black hair. She wasn’t really listening, she was too lost in a daydream of how he had taken her from behind on this very table just yesterday. His giant hand holding her neck flat against the table as he thrusted  
into her. He gave her a pointed look, and it was her turn to blush as she realized that salacious memory had escaped. 

“Are you even listening,” he pleaded. 

“Not really,” and she smiled back at him.

He shook his head as Maz started chuckling.

“Fine, I’ll listen.”

“Those two idiots you left in charge are setting up a provisional government on Coruscant,” Maz droned on for a whole hour about the state of galactic politics.

“Do they know we are alive?” Rey suddenly interjected.

“No, as far as the universe is concerned you are both one with the force. I was being watched on my return which is the reason for my delay.” 

“Do they suspect,” Ben questioned with a hint of panic in his voice.

Rey’s greatest fear was that Poe would find them and come in with guns blazing, destroying the happy home and life they finally had.

She and Ben were clearly on the same page, as their mugs started to rattle from his fear. She grasped his hand, breaking the spell as the mugs stopped shaking.

“Sorry,” he said with contrition..

“Dameron is a hot headed idiot, he thought I may have been a spy. Had to give him a good dressing down,” Maz was clearly annoyed, but their secret remained safe.

“My boyfriend however is devastated. He was so sure you would come back. Be prepared that he may seek this place out.” 

“Does he...does he know I betrayed the First Order.” 

“Yes, my boy, he knows.”

Ben let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Good” he said choking up, “he’s the last family I have.” 

“Young Solo, not the only family, you have dozens of cousins on Naboo. You have your beautiful girl here.” 

He took a shaky breath, taking Rey’s hand and squeezing it. “Yes I do ...and I am unbelievably lucky.”

“Good, now that we are in agreement that you are lucky, then we need to ensure that in case you are not, that she is protected.”

Ben shook his head in agreement. “Rey and I will speak tonight,” he said quietly. Rey gave him a look but he shook his head, pushing “later” through the bond. 

Maz looked them both over once again, “now show me how your cooking is coming.”

Dinner was a boisterous affair as Maz regaled them with tales of the Old Republic. It wasn’t all bad, she spoke of many of the old Jedi’s and their adventures, trade disputes, handsome smugglers, and dashing princes, Bail and his antics being her favorite. 

Ben had stepped out to restock the fireplace and Maz was now looking at Rey skeptically as they waited. 

“Do you love him?” She finally asked.

“With all of my heart,” was her earnest reply.

“He is better, more balanced than when I last saw you.”

“He needed time to heal.”

“As did you both, you are happy?”

She smiled then, “more than I could have ever hoped.”

“The force is strong in both of your families” Maz trailed off, “if you were….”

“We have spoken about what having a child may mean,” Rey practically snapped at her.

Maz adjusted her glasses again staring at her leaving Rey feeling like she was staring down a star destroyer.

“It’s too soon for that discussion, he needs time.”

“Hmmm,” was Maz’s reply as Ben returned with full arms.

After a few more hours Maz declared it was time for her to return to her ship. She patted Rey on the hand. 

“Be careful both of you, the universe will calm in time, but you will need to stay hidden for a while, forever is that is your choosing.”

They walked out to the clearing to see the ancient pirate queen off. 

Ben then scooped Rey up in his arms as the ship flew out of sight.

“Hey,” he was looking at her as if she hung the very stars and kissed her tenderly as he carried her back in the house sitting her on the couch and kneeling before her.

“Ben what’s wrong?”

He visibly swallowed, “Maz showed me where the deeds to the land were, it’s the entire valley and….a castle on Naboo.”

“What?” She practically shrieked.

“That’s not all…”. He was choosing his words, his hands shaking a bit as they took hers. “I love you more than anything, you know that right?”

Now she was concerned, his heart rate was speeding up.

“Ben, you’re scaring me.”

“I wanted to ask if I could add you to the deeds, just in case, and the easiest and quietest way to do that is if we are married.” He rushed out that last part.

He was quite red by now, and his eyes were cast downward, and he took a great breath.

“Ben are you asking me to marry you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to marry me to protect the land?”

“No!” He looked positively scandalized at the thought. “I want to marry you because I love you! But if Dameron comes here…”

She launched herself at him and kissed him. She sought entrance with her tongue and he was soon making her toes curl with his kisses. He pulled back, “will you?”

“Will I what?” She answered cheekily. 

“Will you marry me?” He said quietly.

“Yes...yes...a thousand times yes!”

He laughed and kissed her again scooping her up. “Then I am the happiest man to have ever lived.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just when I thought I was moving on to the next stage of grief, I find out that JJ did us even more dirty. #FuckHim, go back to screwing up Star Trek. I couldn’t resist I stole a favorite cheesy line from Pride and prejudice.


	10. The Force owes them this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well we had to get there, space taxi mom was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing Adam in his SNL promo kind of killed me tonight. I’m so heartbroken over darth JJ that he can fuck off for all eternity. Never again will I trust my heart or money to a franchise.
> 
> On the brighter side I was thirst watching Logan lucky, and that was the inspiration for Ben’s facial hair. There is a scene where Adam wakes up with that pretty hair perfect after sleeping all night, with a Bob Seger T-shirt on. God he’s stupid hot in that redneck movie.

She was sleeping again after hardly touching her food that evening. Rey was curled against him on the couch with her thin arms wrapped around his waist. She was ethereal in her beauty in the firelight and he cherished holding her, stroking her back gently as she slept on. 

Rey kept insisting she was only worn, and admittedly if she were awake he would have had her on her back in bed by now. Honestly he was a bit of a fiend, and should remember to take it easy on her for a few days. Tomorrow he would take her back to the village to find a med droid and sort this out. She had spent the greater part of her life malnourished on a desert planet, of course there would be consequences to that type of life. She had been opening up more about the less than savory aspects of her childhood, and impacts of malnutrition was something he had been studying over the last week. His poor darling girl, her sorry ass excuse for parents, there was no reason good enough in the universe to have hurt their daughter. How could anyone have anything so precious and toss her aside like garbage. 

He should really carry her to bed. Tempting as it was if he fell asleep here, he would end up with a killer backache in the morning. If only he had known this could be his life, he may have had the strength to break free years ago. It was too late for that and dwelling on the things they couldn't change was a waste of the life he now had. They could only move forward with their lives. 

She stirred in her sleep and nuzzled into his chest. “Hey sleepy.”

“Mmmmm, sorry I fell asleep on you.”

“It’s ok,” he kissed her forehead and she gave him a weak smile. 

“Love you….how did I get so lucky? She traced over his jaw, where he was growing a bit of a beard. If she thought he was hot before, the goatee and mustache were going to kill her, but she was so damned tired so jumping him tonight was not happening.

“Love you too,” he replied pushing her hair out of her eyes. “I don’t like that you have been so tired.” She started to sputter and protest, but he cut her off. “Just to make me feel better, tomorrow I want to find a med droid, maybe you need vitamins or something.

He was so earnest in his concern, that she finally muttered, “fine..but you are carrying me to bed.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied as she slowly sat up. With zero effort he carried her to their room.

******************  
Rey had to admit she was feeling like death warmed over. The market was bustling and hot today with the sun beating down on them. Ben’s overprotectiveness while sweet was a bit grating, she’d never been sick a day in her life, and this wasn’t needed. But then this morning he’d been laying between her thighs resting his head between her breasts when she started to argue that point until he lifted those big brown eyes up to her and she shut it. 

Now she was just annoyed, it was hot, it was sticky and she was annoyed that her big lug had drug her here. Ben was currently charming an old woman who was giving directions to the closest med droid in the village. The lady patted him on the arm and she couldn’t help but smile. The supreme leader of the first order trying to find a doctor for his betrothed, was quite a sight. That hat was ridiculous, but with the new facial hair he was utterly unrecognizable.

“Got one!” He exclaimed as he grabbed her by the hand leading her off to another section of the town and a nondescript building.

“Name.” The clanky old droid’s metallic voice questioned.

“Name.” It repeated, well she didn’t want to give it. Certainly not Rey Palpatine, but she was in no mood to come up with an alias on the spot.

“Rey Solo,” Ben shrugged and looked a bit sheepish.

She rolled her eyes and repeated, “Rey Solo.”

The droid unceremoniously jabbed a needle into her arm.

“Ow!” She exclaimed rubbing the spot, “you should warn people.” 

Ben looked at her amused as she glared aghast at the med droid.

“Diagnosis, humanoid female at 11 weeks gestation, hormonal imbalance.

Ben was sure he’d just been transported to another dimension, because his heart stopped and his vision started to black out. That was not possible.

He could hear over the roaring noise in his ears that Rey was screaming. 

“That isn’t right! Check again, I have an implant!” She yelled, shoving her arm out at the droid to scan. “Test it,”

“Implant is functioning normally and should be immediately removed to prevent loss of pregnancy.” 

That snapped him to attention and years of military training kicked in overriding his panic attack. “Remove the implant,” he ordered the droid.

Rey had gone scarily pale, and was starting to shake. Ben had been clear, no children, and now she was pregnant and it wasn’t even possible.

The droid was waiting on Rey to make the request. “Rey,” Ben knelt down next to her taking her hand, “sweetheart, tell the droid to remove it.”

Her eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded. “Remove it,” she said softly, holding out her arm.

********  
The ride home was deathly quiet. The droid had given her a few shots and sent them home with instructions to return in a few months. Her mind was a storm, and she hoped she was shielding her thoughts. She wanted to have a child eventually with Ben. Nothing would make her happier to complete thier family. But Ben didn’t and his reasons were valid, very valid. 

She was dazed as he led her to the lounge, sitting her down on the couch, and tucked a blanket around her. She hadn’t even realized she was shaking until he was wrapping his arms around her. She soon had her arms around his neck and was openly weeping. 

“I’m so sorry,” she said in between heaving sobs. “I know you don’t want this.”

“Sweetheart,” he pulled her back to look at her tear streaked eyes. “Of course I want this.” He was wiping the tears from her eyes.

“But you said,” she was hiccuping now in between sobs.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s done. The droid also said 11 weeks.”

“So.”

“The battle was 11 weeks ago today.”

Her eyes went wide. “What?” But I never….before you and I.”

“I think the Force is trying to make it up to us,” he began as he held her close. “When I found you, you were so cold, and I pushed my life force into you.” He stopped and pushed her hair out of her face and kissed her temple. “I may have overdone it.”

“So we did this?” She was so very confused.

“I think the Force did it,” he said quietly.

She let out a shaky breath, 

“I love you, and it doesn’t matter how this child came to be.” He pulled her chin up to looking in her eyes, “this baby is ours, and we will love it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course she’s knocked up! Girl can have agency and get her man and get a baby. This was pure crack on my part. I’m sure I’ll find a dozen mistakes so I’ll fix as I find them.


	11. Pregnant Force wielding women are scary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We’ve jumped a bit ahead because I felt like it. Daddy Ben is struggling with a force wielding cranky ass mama who is miserable. I’m ignoring big parts of TROS because they are dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an excuse to get our girl laid and take out my frustration. Warning rant ahead. Skip or cover your eyes for a bit.
> 
> So I read the Chris Terrio article today and I want to say on behalf of all Star Wars fans, FUCK YOU asshole. You didn’t watch the prequels??? No shit. We kind of got that. Your take on Kylo/Ben is an epic back track to cover up how bad the terrible writer who brought you the classic line “Martha!” fucked up the greatest redemption story of all time. You have clearly never been a mother after what you had her parents do to Rey and how you fucked up Leia. I would bet Carrie would have told you to fuck off. And JJ we don’t get nuance? Ok dickwad I watch 30 plus movies a year IN THE THEATRE. Stop by the Lagoon in Minneapolis, you’ll probably find me watching some pretentious nuanced indie bullshit. I’ll also watch ALL the Oscar contenders, which I do every year. Then I’ll be watching a Rock movie or America’s Ass in whatever he’s in. I have a masters degree, I’m a business person who makes and spends a lot of money on the shit I love with my cinema loving friends. Turner Classic Movies is my go to for a good night! So fuck you both and Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger for the collective shit you took on all of us and Ben Solo. You clearly don’t understand Star Wars culture and you continue to insult us. Go read Shatner’s book, watch Galaxy Quest and buy a clue. 
> 
> I’ve been a fan since I could walk! Star Wars was my gateway drug to cinema. But hey, I have a vagina, only men know sci fi..what do I know? 
> 
> So Bob there are a 1000 women on this platform that write better stories than JJ and Chris ever have EVERY fucking day of the week. You may want to hire one of them. 
> 
> Release the original ending Assholes.

Morning broke through the bedroom windows with little fanfare. It was too hot for the birds to be singing today and their little brook had been reduced to a trickle. Rey was miserable, it was hot, she was cranky, near the size of a Jawa transport and prone to tears at random times and had been ungodly turned on for weeks, not that Ben was doing much of anything about it.

Ben was patient to a fault and incredibly gentle. She didn’t deserve any of that she’d been frustrated and scared and took it all out on him.She almost wanted Ben to yell back when she became ornery because she knew she’d breached the grounds of completely unreasonable behavior and sounded like a crazy pregnant tyrant.

“I want to train.” She announced that morning after a tense breakfast.

He looked up and quirked an eyebrow and simply stated, “no.”

“Excuse me,” she sputtered.

“No,” he said very evenly without looking up.

“Why not, I’m not an invalid and I’m going stir crazy.”

Ben stopped eating and pinched the bridge of his nose sighing. “I am not sparing with a pregnant woman.” With that he pushed away from the table and tossed his bowl in the sink before heading outside.

Slamming the door for good measure, he stomped over to his favorite spot near the creek and sat down with a huff placing his head in his hands. Definitely a headache coming on. Ben had been free from Palpatine for nearly eight months now and his mood swings had finally calmed down enough that he felt like he was actually in control of his own mind. He loved Rey, and he knew she was utterly and completely miserable and bored, but he was at his wits end on how to deal with any of this. 

More than anything Ben wanted his parents, especially his dad. But force, any humanoid who could point him in the right direction would have been welcome. He’d take Maz at this point, and she hadn't been seen since before they found out about the baby. The datapad offered no insight into how to deal with a very angry, very pregnant, incredibly unreasonable force user. This situation was also not covered in the First Order manual.

Han was the only other person who could have offered insight on what to do in this situation. Although knowing him, he probably faked a supply run to go get drunk with Lando and Chewie over a sabaac game so he could escape Leia’s wrath for a few days. If anything, Ben kind of understood the urge now. Rey was getting so agitated and upset that he wasn’t sure if he or the house would be standing by the end of this. More than once he was afraid she was going to force lift him into the nearest wall. The stress couldn’t be good for the baby.

And the worst party was, he really had no idea what it was he was doing wrong. Hormones, the stupid datapad said. Yeah no kiddin, that was quite the understatement. He could not wait for this hell to be over, then he could hold their baby and get the not slightly unstable version of Rey back. She was terrifying. But she had been so patient and understanding with him, and she was so beautiful and full and round with their child, and he had to fight off the caveman urge to keep her in bed all day long. Granted that might help at this point. 

Their baby, that brought a smile to his face. He had convinced himself that having children was a terrible idea, thier families hadn’t exactly had great luck up until this point with the whims of the force. But this was a gift he didn’t deserve, and he’d do anything to protect his girls. Rey also was mad at him because he was certain it was a girl. It was entirely possible he enjoyed seeing her riled up at times. At least it gave her something else to think about, instead of how miserable she was.

He cast a wistful look back at the house, time to go back in and face his doom. By now she was probably as mad as angry rancor since he lost his temper and left to cool off. One thing was certain he was absolutely not going suggest meditating again, she’d probably have him disemboweled. He shuddered at the memory of that “discussion.” Perhaps they could go for a short hike once the sun went down and it cooled off. Not before, he was taking zero chances.

He entered the back door with trepidation. “Rey?” Shit, he could hear her crying.

He cautiously approached their bedroom, where she was curled up in their bed facing away from him. 

“I’m sorry.” She said in the most piteous way.

Sliding in under the covers, he molded himself around her back her pulling her close.

“Pateesa,” he said kissing her temple, “you have nothing to be sorry for.”

She started sobbing in earnest, “I am the size of a Hutt, I don’t know from one minute to the next if I’m going to cry or scream, you don’t want me to do anything and…you don’t want me anymore.” 

“Sweetheart,” he started nuzzling her hair. He couldn’t believe that she thought for a moment that he didn't want her. Force, he was an ass. Here he was trying to be gentle and protective and she thought she wasn’t wanted. 

“Of course I want you,” he pushed her hair aside so he could mouth at her neck. His free hand started working its way up her shirt to play with her pretty tits. She gasped, the further into her pregnancy she got the more sensitive they became, the darker the nipples, and they just a bit larger, all things he appreciated.

“Ben.”

“So responsive, I could play with these forever. You know you practically glow.” He tweaked a nipple for good measure and she groaned. “How about here,” his hand snaked its way down past her leggings. “You’re soaked for me.” His fingers parted her folds and he slowly dipped in one, then two digits .” 

She groaned in response, he was still being too gentle. Her hand landed on his and she used her strength to push him harder. She was panting now. “Ben please, more.”

“You want more pateesa?”

“Ben!” She was moaning now and rutting against his hand. “Please harder.”

He was starting to lose it, his need for this wanton woman in his arms was replacing his desire to treat her as gently as he could. He pulled his hand away and yanked her leggings down, then frantically released his very hard and throbbing dick. He lifted her top leg over his hip, line up the blunt head and slide home in a single forceful thrust. Force this woman was exquisite. 

“You have no idea what you do to me. Seeing you pregnant with my child.” he gave her a particularly hard thrust and she squealed, her back arching, and her free hand reaching back to yank at his hair to the point of pain. 

“You are so beautiful and so fucking responsive. I’d keep you here all day just fucking into your perfect wet pussy.” 

His hand found her clit and he started rubbing rough circled with the pad of his thumb as his thrusts became harder and sloppy. He could feel the goose flesh rising in her arms as he pounded into her.

“I want to feel you come on my dick, need to feel you pateesa.” 

Rey screamed as she came over the edge and he continued hammering into her until he came with a final grunt. 

The aftershocks were still tingling up his spine for several minutes afterwards until his over sensitive dick softened slipped out. Fuck that was hot and they still had all their clothes on. 

Rey rolled onto her back and ran a hand over his cheek. Ben shut his eyes for a moment leaning into her touch. He took her hand in his, kissing her palm and then kissing her chastely on the lips.

He snuggled next to her burying his face in her neck while one of his giant hands roamed rolled over her belly. 

“Please never doubt how much I love you,” he whispered into to her neck planting a kiss there. “How much I love you both.” 

“Oh Ben, I love you.”

She was quiet for a few moments.

“What if we fail our baby? I just….I don’t know how to be a mother,” she said quietly.

His face went soft as he kissed her gently. “We may not know what we’re doing, but we will never leave her, ever...for any reason. I may have zero idea how to change a diaper, we can figure that stuff out. She will be loved to the point she’ll think we’re crazy and overprotective.” He nuzzled her nose. “Just think, In a few weeks our little one will be here. Then we will be too tired to do any of this.”

Rey giggled at that. 

He propped himself up, his free hand still caressing her stomach and he received a kick. “She’s active today.”

“Correction, your son has been sitting on my bladder all morning. I might as well camp out in the fresher.”

Rey pulled up her shirt over her belly just in time to see their child do a somersault. 

“That... is never going to not be weird.” Ben looked absolutely horrified as her entire stomach seem to be possessed in a way that he half expected a tiny alien to pop out. But he supposed that was actually the end goal.

Shaking his head at his offspring’s antics he smiled and gave her a playful peck on the nose. “What do you say scavenger that we clean up and you help me with the power converter on the speeder that needs repairing?”

“ I would absolutely love that, assuming I have the ability to walk.” He smirked, “You are welcome.” Then quickly scrambled out of bed and jumped in the shower before she could hit him with a pillow that came flying across the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I feel better. I’m blocking out the epic story of Star Wars I’ve wanted to write with Hux being the baddie.


	12. Somebody Needs to be bitch slapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wanted to get up and leave. Maybe have a cup of caf with Poe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Chris Terrio and John Boyega. You both need to shut it. John...dude...nasty. 
> 
> And Disney...I won't spend money on an extended edition for a shitty movie that ignores 10 movies of canon. Hell, I'm pretty sure it ignores the Ewok movies just out of spite. (That's right Disney, I own the fucking Ewok movies, in fact I own a pirated copy of the Christmas special.)  
> So unless you recut this and Ben lives. POUND SAND.

Ben was going to fuck this baby out of her if it was the last thing he did. Her squeals and moans of delight spurred him on and he thrust over and over into her from behind. The swell of her belly was supported by an enormous pile of pillows that she buried her face in as she moaned wantonly. “Fuck...harder...please,” she begged. Ben could never deny her and he thrust as deep as he could. Smoothing a hand up her back, he felt her shudder and grasped her shoulder for leverage, his other hand gripping that gorgeous ass as he pounded relentlessly over and over. 

She was so tight like this, and he could get impossibly deep at this angle. He could bury himself in her forever...her beautiful skin, her silky hair, gods the way she smelled and how round she was with his child. He growled as he felt her start to clench around him, and he reached around to slam his palm on her clit. “Come on baby...cum for me.” He could feel every ripple of her tight channel as it gripped him, pulling him impossibly deeper as she screamed into the pillow she clutched. “Fuck Yes,” he groaned as he felt his balls draw up and his spine started stingling, but he didn’t want this to end. He fucked her through her orgasm as his body chased after hers. Everything whited out as he bent over her, the hard planes of his chest flush against her soft back.

Ben collapsed on the bed a sweaty mess, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Rey shoved the pillows to the side and collapsed next to him. Glancing over at Rey, she wasn’t doing much better. 

“Anything?” 

She laid there for a moment, thinking. She was somewhere between a smile and a frown...nothing. “Your child is stubborn, I’m going to be pregnant **_forever_ **,” she whined.

He laughed, “give me a few minutes and we can try again.”

He turned and propped himself up on his elbow, and leaned down to kiss her dragging a hand lazily up over her stomach. 

She giggled, as her stomach growled. “I’m afraid he wants food.” 

"Then my princesses will get food,” he kissed her playfully on the nose. 

“Anything you want?” He asked while pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Surprise me, I’m going to jump into the fresher.” 

The sun was shining and the birds were singing, it was an absolutely glorious day. Ben turned up the music as he busied himself in the kitchen with a smile on his face. Meat, cheese and bread, they were nearly out of jogan fruit due to her late night cravings. He had been hoping that would last until the baby came and she was going to be incredibly cranky if they ran out. Maybe he could make a quick run to the village to restock, but he hated to be away from her this close to when the baby was due. 

He was dancing around the room, humming to the music as he plated up. He turned to bring the plate to the table when he was met with the point of a blaster and the cold eyes of FN2187. “Where is Rey?” 

Ben dropped the plate, hearing it clanking on the floor below him. There were three people in the room with blasters trained on him. Dameron, he recognized, the small woman must be Rose and the former stormtrooper standing in his great room.

“Rey!” The stormtrooper kept yelling.

“Please leave her out of this and I’ll come with you willingly,” Ben hoped his voice sounded steady.

“I'm not leaving until you give her back.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ben tried. 

Poe had been watching the exchange with his own blaster drawn taking in the appearance of the man who had been Kylo Ren. When they approached the home, he hadn’t expected to hear music, let alone watch the man who had once tortured him looking happy, and dancing around a kitchen. It turned his world upside down as he could see the ghosts of his mentor’s in that man, and he could also see his lost childhood friend. 

“Ben!” Rey screamed as she barreled into the room, placing herself directly between Finn and Ben.

“Rey, get behind me,” Ben demanded. She was between him and three blasters…. she and his child were in danger. He could easily take out all three, but he wouldn’t take a chance of her getting hurt in the crossfire unless that was a last resort. 

“No!” she yelled again as Finn flinched and she sent him flying backwards into the wall. Finn recovered and trained his blaster again on both of them.

“What did you do to her? He yelled out.

Rose who had remained quiet watching the exchanged, had been eyeing Rey’s stomach with wide eyes interjected herself into the fray, ““Finn! Put the gun down she’s pregnant,” and she wedged herself between Rey and the drawn blaster. 

Poe dropped his own blaster down, “Finn buddy stand down now” 

“No...he did that to her.” Finn was gesturing at toward Rey’s stomach screaming.

Rey suddenly doubled over in pain. “Oh gods, no,” she cried in anguish.

Ben panicked his eyes going wide. “Rey?”

“No it’s coming!

Ben looked at Poe, “Please we need to get her to the village….please,” he pleaded. 

Rey screamed again, and he grabbed around her waist to keep her from hitting the floor.

Rose stalked up to Finn, and grabbed the blaster out of his hand and slapped his face.

He raised a hand to slap her back, when he was stunned by Poe’s blaster and sunk to the ground.

Rose nodded to Poe, that was enough of that bantha fodder.

“Ben,” Rey groaned, “Oh force this hurts.”

Rose rushed back to her side, as Rey started to crumble again in Ben’s arms. 

“Rey...look at me, has your water broken?”

Rey nodded in the affirmative, “Yes in the fresher.”

“Get her to the bed now,” Rose ordered, and she turned to Poe, “Find towels, a sterilized knife, string and bucket of water.” 

“I’m sorry...what?” Poe returned.

“We aren’t making it to a med droid, this baby is coming now. Do I need to repeat myself?”

Poe just stood rooted to the spot. 

Rose yelled out “Now Commander,” as she followed Ben to the bedroom. 

“Rey, honey I need you to tell me what you’re feeling. I’m going to take a look and see what’s going on.”

Rey was sobbing and clutching Ben’s hand in a death grip, he was pretty sure he was going to have broken bones after this. 

***

“Whoa!” Poe yelled as he entered the room. He did NOT need to see that. 

“Toss me the towels, put down the water and get the hell out!” Rose yelled. 

Rose helped Rey lift her hips between her sobs and lined the bed with towels. 

Another contraction hit her, and she screamed in pain again. The contractions were coming faster and faster, and the pain was like nothing she had ever felt. Her insides were being ripped apart, god’s why hadn’t they stayed in the village. 

“Rey, honey the baby is crowning, I’m going to need you to push soon.”

“No...no I can’t do that.” 

Rose gave Ben a pointed look as he had turned sheet white.

Trembling he kissed Rey’s temple, “Sweetheart, you can do this. You are braver than anyone I’ve ever known.” 

Rey was crying and shaking her head.

“Rey listen to me, the next contraction that hits, I need you to push,’ Rose was scarily calm as she bore her gaze into Rey’s. 

Through her tears she nodded yes and braced herself as the next wave hit. Screaming she pushed, but nothing seemed to happen. Fuck this hurt. 

“Ok Rey, I need you to keep pushing on the next contraction.”

She pushed again...and again for what seemed like an eternity, but the baby wasn’t moving and she started to panic.

“Ben oh force it’s stuck, the baby is stuck.” They were too far from town and the nearest med droid. 

“Rey, honey...look at me, I need to use my hands to try and turn the baby,” Rose had the grim look of a woman going into battle, and that frightened Rey more than anything.

“Rey,’ Ben placed a hand on her cheek wiping away the tears, “You can do this, I know you can.” 

“On the next contraction, don’t push so I can turn the baby.”

Rey was sobbing, “Ben, I can’t do this.” He looked at Rose for a moment, and she gave him a grim nod. He made a quick decision and crawled onto the bed, shifting Rey up as he crawled behind her taking both of Rey’s hands in his. “You **_can_ **do this, and then we can hold her.”

The next contraction hit and she screamed as the pain ripped through her and she dropped her head backwards onto this shoulder. Rose was frantically working to turn the child. “Rey, push now,” She commanded.

“I can’t,” she cried, “It hurts to much.” Her hair was plastered to her forehead, but she didn’t have the strength to move it. 

“Yes you can sweetheart...please for me keep trying.” 

“Rey push!’ Rose yelled. 

She took every ounce of remaining strength that she had and screaming she pushed again.

“The heads almost out, one more...just one more honey and this is all over.”

Rey couldn’t imagine pushing one more time time, she wanted to get up and leave. Maybe have a cup of caf with Poe.

“Rey, please,” Ben begged in her ear. Her precious boy, she had to keep going for him and as the next contraction hit, she screamed again and pushed as she felt a rush of pressure leave between her legs. 

She collapsed back onto him shutting her eyes. Then the most wonderful sound hit her....a baby crying. Ben kissed her shoulder and shifted so she could lay back against the pillows.

“Oohhh little one,” Rose was cooing as she wrapped the baby in a soft towel bringing her up to them.

“Ben? Do you want to meet your daughter.” There were tears streaming down his face as he took in the scrunched up angry little face. She was red and slimy, and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He kissed her tiny little forehead as she cried.

“Ben.” Rey whispered, she was looking at him with a soft smile on her face. He sat back down on the bed and gently shifted their daughter to her. Force she was beautiful, and Rey smiled through her tears. “Thank you,” he whispered. She smiled at him. “She’s so pretty...and so tiny. How is she so tiny, I was huge?” Ben started laughing and kissed her temple.

“I love you so much...I love you both,” his voice was thick with emotion.

She smiled up at him, “I love you too.” 

The baby started to fuss, and Rey laughed as she squirmed. 

“Rey,” we need to get you and the bed cleaned up. 

Rey looked up at Rose and smiled. “Thank you.” 

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry about all of this.” Rey nodded and kissed her sweet baby’s head again. 

"Ben, can you take her to see her uncle Poe?” She asked after a few moments.

He smiled, and gently took the baby smiling down at the sweet little thing in his arms. He gave the women some space as he took the little one out to see Dameron. 

***

“Hey.” 

“Hey.” 

Well this was awkward, but Ben couldn’t stop smiling.

“Cute kid,” Poe said awkwardly looking at the tiny bundle.

Ben laughed a bit. “Yeah, I think so.” 

“So, this is what Maz has been hiding?”

‘Is Maz ok?” Ben was concerned.

“Yeah, she’s with Chewie. Finn was watching her every move for months.” He looked over at the man tied up on the floor. “He’s been a smidge unhinged.”

“Is that going to be a problem,” Ben eyed Finn's form warily.

“No man, it won’t be an issue.” Poe considered Ben for a moment. This giant of a man, gently holding a fussing newborn against his chest was not Kylo Ren. He started laughing as Ben gave him an odd look. “My friend, It’s good to have you back.” 

Ben smiled at him, “It’s good to be back,” and looking down at his daugher said “ it’s very good, actually.” 

Rose stepped back out, “You can go in now, then this little one needs a bath.” 

“Thank you,...truly.” 

Rose chuckled, and shifted the baby’s wrappings a bit so she could see her face. “Better get this one back to her mother.”

Rose washed her hands, and smiled at Poe as she finished. 

“We need a plan,” she finally said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have zero idea if this makes any sense. I remember being in the middle of labor and thinking I'm done. I want coffee, I'm going to get up and go get some and we'll just do this shit later.  
> I think one or two more chapters and then Peace out on this one. Thank you everyone for your kind words and support, it means a ton to this Reylo forced out of writing retirement.


	13. Grandpa's everywhere.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t actually think I’m going to ever get to hold her,” Rey said teasingly.  
> “She is very warm and snuggly,” Ben admitted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff...it's all fluff! I'm ignoring more of that shitty movie and I need glitter to spread because it's so freaking ass fluffy. Chapter count is going up!  
> So I heard today via twitter where I now spend my free time rage tweeting at Disney. That Lucas Film and Disney are angry that we are angry and are threatening to withhold Reylo content unless we play nice and accept that Ben is dead...Umn BITE ME AHOLES!  
> I will keep on #BringBenSoloBack and #BenSoloDeservedBetter because it is the truth and we deserve a decent movie and an HEA. So suck it corporate overlords!  
> 

Rey had fallen asleep for a few minutes after holding baby. Ben sat next to her on the bed staring in awe at this little being they had created. He may be biased, but she was a beautiful baby, with wide pretty little dark eyes, a tiny little red mouth and tufts of dark hair. He counted that she had ten little fingers and ten little toes that were utterly tiny and perfect. 

Rose entered the room and gently pulled back the blanket to smile at the baby. “Do you have a name yet?”

“No, Rey...I mean...we’ll think about it.” 

Rose cast a concerned look down at her friend, she and Poe had the workings of a plan and seeing Rey like this solidified their decision, she was pale..she was tiny the way it was and had lost quite a bit of blood.

‘Ben, I know you don’t know me, but we love Rey too and I think we need her and the baby to be checked out by one of our medical droids. 

Ben felt himself panicking what if they took her, what if they took the baby. He couldn’t go with them to ensure their safety, someone would recognize him. “We can take them to the village, there’s a medical droid there. I don’t want to put them in any danger...I don’t think I can leave them.”

This poor sweet man, he so clearly loved Rey and this little one, Rose put a comforting hand on his arm. “Ben, we aren’t going to leave, Poe is going to go and get one and some med supplies and he will deal with Finn.”

“He will tell people where we are. I...I can’t leave people will know who I am, they will recognize Rey.”

Poe had been standing in the doorway listening chimed in. “ _ People _ are not exactly looking for a dead cranky giant with a scar down his face dressed in all black who also exudes an aura of terror. You aren’t exactly giving off that vibe.” 

“What about…” 

“Finn... I know. Can’t you Jedi mind trick him into forgetting about all of this?” Poe asked while waving his hands about.

“That’s not how the force works,” Ben said with a tinge of disgust. 

“Now you get picky,” Poe said smirking, “I know you’re freaking out, but buddy I need you to trust me.” 

Ben looked down at Rey, her force signature was strong but she was clearly hurting and this little one would be hungry soon. He looked at Poe and nodded yes. 

Rose took charge, “Poe, you take care of the dumbass, keep him unconscious or I’ll knock him out myself. Big guy, Where are the bottles and formula? We need to feed that little one.” She was kind of terrifying in Ben’s opinion in a she’ll shoot you first and ask questions later way. 

He kissed the baby’s head and gently handed her to Rose. “Rey has it all in the kitchen.” 

Rey whimpered a little and he leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Sweetheart, we’re going to get you and the baby checked out...is that alright” 

“Ok,” She said quietly before falling back asleep.

“Solo, I’m going to need to lock Finn up in the cargo hold to cool his jets for a while, can you help me drag him out?”

****

“So what’s your plan?” Ben asked, he’d been tempted to drop him a few times on the way outside.

“Scare the crap out of him and keep him far away until I can confirm he isn’t a threat.” Poe looked at the body of his unconscious friend for a moment. “I’m not going to lie to you, he’s obsessed with her.”

Ben grimaced as he chewed on his cheek a bit. He assumed he wasn’t allowed to kill this guy or wipe his brain of any memory of Rey. Wasn’t really in him anymore, but if he threatened his girls then FN2187 would be very dead.

“Do you love her?” Poe asked. 

Poe started laughing as Ben made the face of a love sick fathier. “Oh buddy you got it bad, your old man would fall over laughing at this.”

Ben rolled his eyes at Poe, “of course I love her.”

“She’s kind of a pain in my ass, so technically you are doing me a favor. And Leia loved her, probably as much as she loved you.”

“Thank you….thank you for staying with my mom when I couldn’t.

“She fought for you, she fought for you every single day, and that baby...nothing would have made her happier than that.” Poe smiled and clapped Ben on the back. “ Alright enough feelings, I have a reputation to uphold and I need to take this numnutz back to the ship, before I need to stun his sorry ass again.”

***

Finn was coming around as he locked him in the hold.

“Poe what the hell? We have to get Rey away from him.”

“There is no way you’re getting anywhere near them until you get your head out of your ass,” Poe spat in disgust.

“He’s got her Jedi mind tricked, you have to see that!” Finn started banging and pulling on the doors trying to open it. 

“No buddy she loves him and he loves her and like a moron ... _ you _ just pulled a blaster on a pregnant woman. You’re lucky to be alive, because if you had hurt her or Rose, Ben would have been the least of your problems, I would have killed you myself.”

Back in the cockpit Poe pulled up the communication system. This had been a hell of a day. Not even close to what he had expected to find planetside. Ben had always been intense and quiet when he was a kid, stuck to the shadows as he was trailing after his mother. Always caught up in the wake of a family that had more drama than all the rest of galaxy combined. Leia had confided in him more than once about Snoke, but he never really believed her until now. 

“ Lando...I need your and Chewie’s help, strictly need to know.”

“Well hello to you too kid, nice to tell us that you were going on a field trip.”

“Yeah chew my ass out later. I need a med droid with a newborn human system check loaded asap.”

“You find another one?”

“Yeah, I did,” Poe stewed over an idea for a moment, “bring the package and all the gear to the coordinates I’m sending you.”

“We should be there in about...six hours tops.”

“Lando, when you get here I need you and Chewie to be calm…very calm.”

“That request doesn’t make me feel particularly calm kid. Nor will it make a stressed out wookie very calm, he’s already shedding all over the damn ship.”

***

“Hey.”

“Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling.”

“I’m fine, just really tired and...sore” she said.

Ben sat in the room rocking the infant, Rose had given him a bottle while Rey recovered and the little one was happily sucking. “How are you doing dad?” Rey asked quietly.   
He smiled at her, and climbed onto the bed. “Ow,” she said trying to sit up. Good thing he was a giant and could maneuver both her into a sitting position and hold the baby. 

“What should we call her?” Ben asked. 

She thought for a moment “What were your grandmother’s names? 

“Padme and Breha,” he answered.

‘I liked them both.” 

“Padme Breha Solo,” he smiled down at her, “What do you think little one?”

Padme just squirmed as he handed her back to Rey.

“She’s perfect isn't she,” Rey was in awe as she held her tiny hand, inspecting those teeny tiny fingers.

He kissed her temple, “I’m biased, but I think you both are.” His lovely girls, he didn’t deserve this level of happiness.

“Yes you do, because if you don’t then I wouldn’t get to be this happy.” 

“ _ Are _ you happy?”

Rey kissed him on the jaw, “I'm not saying I’m going to be up for doing  _ that  _ again anytime soon, but I am unbelievably happy.”

“She has ten toes,” he said with that goofy smile she loved.

“Did you count them to be sure?” She laughed. 

“Ok lovebirds, you’re so cute it’s making me slightly ill. Rey you need to eat and then we are going to get you in a bath.” 

“Is she always like this?” Ben whispered in Rey’s ear.

“Pretty much, you get used to it.”

“I heard that,” Rose yelled on her way out the door, “Ben, you’re on baby duty until I get Rey fed.”

“The general gave us orders, come here Padme...Rose is kind of scary, but I’m glad she’s here.” 

Rey had to laugh as he spoke to their daughter, it  _ was  _ unbelievably cute.

***

The rest of the day was spent as lazily as one could with a new infant in the house. Rey seemed to be perking up after she ate, and Rose had her up and walking around a bit. They had to all nearly fight Ben to hold Padme and Poe laughed at him accusing him of pouting. 

Poe had stepped out after dinner to fetch the med droid transport and Rey was sitting up on the couch as Ben rocked Padme.    
“I don’t actually think I’m going to ever get to hold her,” Rey said teasingly.

“She is very warm and snuggly,” Ben admitted. 

Rose rolled her eyes, “You two are slightly obnoxious ...adorable but obnoxious.” Rose glanced towards the door, it was a good thing these two clueless idiots were wrapped up in Padme. She was nervous as hell about how this was going to go down. And based on the arrival time, it was going to be soon. 

Ben heard it before Rose or Rey, the sound of a speeder headed back from the clearing and then the roar of a wookie as it banged open the door. Padme who had been content started crying piteously as Ben stood and stared down his father’s closest companion. Chewie looked at him and then to the baby and then to Rey and made a confused sound. Ben looked at both in terror, did he hand the baby to Rey before his arms were ripped out, did he run, did he fight? 

“Get out of the way you walking carpet, this kid is getting cold.” 

Lando pushed his way past Chewie and came to an abrupt stop taking in the scene and then the old general started laughing. “Now you can get out of my way kid,” he said leaning heavily on his cane, he waived a stunned Ben out of the way as he sat with a huff in the chair that had been recently vacated. “Now that we have established why we were summoned here...I would like to hold my adopted grandchild if you please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on a second story, because that's apparently what you do here...
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/22078813/chapters/52691209
> 
> Come join me on fic fest number 2! This one pretends that THROS or how Disney killed Ben doesn't exist at all.


	14. Baby makes 4...how’d that happen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And baby makes 4? Rey and Ben have thier new bundle of joy and a houseful of “relatives.” #SaveBenSolo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow starts our next round of #SaveBenSolo and #BringBackBenSolo. Lucas Film is sowing confusion and threatening the #Reylo community. Don’t be silenced! Fight back!
> 
> And this is all crazy stupid fluff....I don’t just want it happy. I want gumdrops and sprinkles on my ice cream!

Ben couldn’t move, what in the hell was happening?

  
“Did Palpatine fry his brain?” Lando asked around Ben towards Rey who was also rather stunned by this development.

  
“No,” Ben finally said in horror.  
“Good, now let’s see if this one is up to par.”

  
Ben carefully handed over Padme to a delighted Lando, who began making cooing noises until she quieted.

  
“Well look at you...girl or boy?” He asked Ben.

  
“Girl...her name is Padme,” Ben quietly replied.

  
Ben backed over towards Rey and she reached out to hold his shaking hand.  
“Han would have lost his damn mind over a girl. You look like your grandma Leia and your mama,” Lando’s face lit up, “good thing those ears skipped you.” Rose snorted at that.

  
“Now Chewie here is your grandpa also. He’s a bit hairy, but you get used to it.” Chewie made an annoyed growl, but padded over he studied the baby for a moment and made a soft noise as placed a giant paw over her head.

  
The wookie looked over at Ben and then moved towards him gathering him into a fierce hug that threatened to crush him.  
His favorite walking carpet still smelled, but he was as soft as he remembered and Ben was suddenly a small boy again falling asleep in Chewie’s lap on the Falcon. It was overwhelming and he couldn’t stop the tears as he began crying into his fur, clutching at the long strands. He had taken so much from his dad’s best friend and so had his grandfather. Chewie ran a paw over his hair messing it up entirely.

  
Ben choked out, “I’m so sorry.”  
“There there, little starfighter,” he said in shyriiwook. It took a few moments, but his tears subsided and Ben wiped his eyes and shakily sat down on the couch clutching Rey’s hand again.

  
Lando sighed and gave him a half hearted smile, “It’s all in the past, nothing we can do to change it, but if this little girl is the result then how could it all have been bad?” He smiled down at Padme as she hiccuped, “I have to say, kids you did well, I thought your grandmother Leia was the most beautiful princess in the galaxy, but this one...this one may beat her for that title. Leia probably wouldn’t even argue that.”

  
“Does anyone care that I’m here?” Poe still stood near the edge of the room where he was holding a small dark haired boy. The little one had his arms around Poe’s neck and was watching them with scared eyes.

  
“Bringing the kid here makes a lot more sense now,” Lando said. “Now lets have these two checked out, and then we can have a discussion about the boy.”

Rose had been right, Rey had lost a great deal of blood and the med droid tutted and spoke condescendingly about backwater medical centers as she poked and prodded the annoyed new mother. It was so rude and abrupt that Ben didn’t want to hand Padme over, but Lando whacked him in the knee with his cane and glared until he acquiesced and allowed Rose to have her checked. Padme cried again as she was inoculated and he nearly saw red, but Rey held his hand to calm him until he had Padme back in his arms. “She’ll be fine,” and kissed his cheek settling into his side on the lounge.

  
The little boy had stayed on Poe’s lap taking in the events unfolding around him. He didn't smile when he took a cookie that Lando had offered, but quietly munched while keeping a wary eye on the adults He watched Ben closely as he held the little baby, and after a time of listening to the big people talk he slowly crawled down and walked over to Ben.

  
Ben looked at him quizzically. “Hello.” He was small, had brown hair like Rey’s and fine features and he looked a bit too thin in Ben’s opinion.

  
“Names Colin, Poe found him abandoned on Coruscant...we haven’t been able to get him to talk,” Lando said.

  
Poe chimed in, “We’ve also haven’t been able to find a home for him yet.” He took a deep sigh, “ we think, I mean...we know he’s a force user.”

  
“Pretty sure that’s why he was abandoned,” Lando continued.  
Chewie agreed quietly.

  
Ben gave the men a surprised look, he reached out with the force and felt for the boy….sad, alone...but full of light like Padme....and so very young.  
“Hi Colin,” he said quietly.  
Colin didn’t look at him directly and didn’t acknowledge Ben had talked,but after a moment he lifted a tiny hand and pointed at Padme.  
“Did you want to see the baby?”

  
Colin nodded just a little as Ben leaned down to show the little boy Padme. He slowly came a little closer and put a small hand on Ben’s knee and peered into the blanket and then he smiled just a little. He looked up at Ben with his sad eyes and lifted up both of his arms to be picked up. Ben shifted Padme to Rey and settled the little boy in his lap, so he could look at the baby.

  
“What do you think Colin?” Rey asked.

  
“Baby,” he said clapping his hands together and turned to smile at Ben.  
“Well, I’ll be,” Poe said, “I don’t think he’s every said a word to anyone.”  
“He doesn't have any family?” Rey asked.  
Poe sighed, “None that we’ve been able to find, he was dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage with a note. He can float...things...sometimes. That’s why we got involved. Made his milk float across the room and nearly made Kaydel faint.”

  
“How old is he?” Ben asked.  
“The droids think he’s just around two years old.”

  
Colin smiled at Padme, and said “Baby,” again and snuggled into Ben a bit more.  
“Poe,” Rey said sadly. She had a brand new infant, not even a day old, she was insane for thinking this was a good idea, but those big brown sad eyes.  
“Well kids, I know the princess is brand new. But we have all of his gear,” Lando laughed.  
“I can stay and help for a while,”Rose chimed in.  
Ben looked at Rey and she answere his own unsaid question, an abandoned child and a force user… they didn’t really have a choice.  
Rey spoke to Colin, “Do you want to live with Ben and I and the baby?”  
Colin looked at her, and then up at Ben and gripped Ben’s shirt sleeve as he shifted and looked over at Poe. “Yeah buddy, it’s ok,” Poe said.  
Colin smiled at Rey and nodded yes.

***  
Ben woke up groggily the next morning, Padme had been up a few times during the night and Colin had wandered in. They were definitely going to need a bigger bed as there was a sleeping toddler splayed out like a starfish, holding onto both him and Rey and a tiny softly snoring newborn in the bassinet next to him. Never in his life had he felt this level of contentment, never had he thought it was possible to be this happy. He could kick himself for being foolish enough to say no to having children. Padme began to stir again, and he kissed Colin on the forehead and ruffled his hair a bit, before scooping up Padme. Rey gave him a sleepy smile and snuggled Colin. If only his parents could see them now, two children in less than a day, his mother would probably be horrified. He smiled down at Padme as her adorable little face squished up. Sure he was tired and justifiably terrified, having now two force using children to raise, but he was also unbelievably happy.

Lando was right, the pain and the loneliness he had suffered in this life time was worth it. He wouldn’t trade a moment as long as his little family was his reward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before the epilogue. Still working on Rise of the Empire and should  
> Update over the weekend. Thanks for your wonderful support!


	15. Moving time?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our happy couple deals with two force wielding children with colds. They are Not equipped for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a hot minute, and I’ve been trying to bring this one to a close, but I dreamed this chapter last night and needed to write it. That’s it, epilogue left!

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. Neither of them had a lick of decent parenting modeled to them.  _ Neither _ of them knew what they were doing; and eventually they were going to snap at each other. Every couple did, and it was perfectly normal but that wasn’t something that two abandoned children understood. They both had an unrealistic view that now that they had reached happily ever after, everything else would be easy.

He had been patient through Rey’s pregnancy when she was miserable. He’d been patient though that first week with Rose in the house, helping them with their lovely little baby and Collin, his unexpected joy. 

Collin, over the preceding months, was slowly coming out of the shell of silence he had been trapped in. Ben had carefully searched his mind, drawing out the scattered memories of the young boy, but there was a black hole surrounding his origins and parents. This Ben assumed was a coping mechanism to deal with trauma of his abandonment. 

The little boy was very tactile. He loved to be held and hugged and ate it all up all the affection they could dole out, and Rey and he loved to shower him with all that they needed.

Little by little, Collin became braver and would venture further out from Rey and Ben to explore their peaceful little corner of the galaxy. With Ben’s guidance he came to understand that he should only float designated “safe” items in the clearing near their home. 

Collin would chase the small butterfly like creatures that inhabited their glen and giggle and laugh like a happy normal child. His vocabulary was expanding which according to the data pad was essential to his development. He would say small phrases mostly about the baby, but he would mostly tug and Ben or Rey and point. 

Every night Ben would read to his little family by the firelight, then he and Rey would take turns snuggling the children and putting them to sleep. Padme was no longer a passive infant and Ben already longed for the days where he could hold her against his chest as she softly snored. Now at six months old she was grabbing everything in sight, her tiny little fingers would tug at their hair to get them to yelp, but then hold the same strands for comfort and assurance as he rocked her to sleep at night. She had her mother's fine features, but those pretty brown eyes and that curly dark hair that she had were all him, and He suspected that her attitude was all Han.

Crawling had been a whole new world of terror. Padme was now mobile and everything went in her mouth. Everything. Nothing was safe….including clumps of grass and dirt and the occasional bug. 

A trip to town with the family to resupply for the month was a regular occurrence, but this last time they came back with something worse as both children were sick, and they were crying. 

Ben couldn’t fix it, two days of sniffling feverish children, one child who could barely speak and the other who could only babble and was crying nonstop. Neither Rey or he had more than a few minutes of sleep and they were not coping well. Rey was in tears rocking Padme. She looked up at him with red eyes. Collin was quiet, feverish and clingy and it was all too much for him and he needed to step out for a moment and gather his wire which were quickly failing.

He stepped out of the house and pacer around the back yard. He wiped frustrated tears off his face. “Fuck,” he yelled into the abyss. “Fuck fuck fuck.” He just wanted to punch something, then sleep. Battle was easier than sick children. 

“Rough day.” The smiling face of his mom met his stunned gaze.

He ran a hand through his hair, and let out a dark chuckle. “You could say that.”

“We didn’t exactly prepare you for the  _ joys _ of parenthood.”

“To say the least,” he quipped back, “they are both sick and I think I’m losing my mind.”

“I know you love this place, but perhaps you and Rey should consider moving to Naboo?”

Ben fixed a steely gaze on her shimmering form. If he panicking before...people, being around any people with his family was an even more terrifying prospect. They could be hurt, he could be taken away.

“Ben, you and Rey love each other, but you also need to have other people. Your cousins would help you, help with the children. Perhaps,” she quirked her lip a bit, “give you two a break... a chance to be alone once in a while?” 

He  _ could, _ see the wisdom in that. While he was an introvert, Rey was good with other people and needed interaction, she would bring light to anyone one she was with. And the children would need socialization soon.

“Hello Collin,” Leia spoke softly. “I hear you aren’t feeling well.”

Ben turned quickly to see the little boy with dad wide eyes and a red nose looking between him and his mother.

“Daddy,” he sniffled wiping his runny nose with his sleeve, “are you leaving us?”

Ben’s heart broke, Collin had never called him that. Collin really didn’t call him or Rey anything. With a shuddering breath he kneeled down, and pulled the small child into his arms. “I promise Mommy and I will never leave you.” 

“Promise?”

He hugged Collin a bit tighter. “Promise.”

“Can the nice lady come inside?”

Ben looked back at his mother, he wanted nothing more than to have her join them, he knew it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t, but how do you explain to your son? That he was interacting with your mother’s Force ghost? Luckily

Leia did it for him.

“No sweetheart, I can’t come in. But your dad is going to give you a nice warm bath with some peppermint in the tub and you are going to get some sleep.”

“Ok...can we do that?” Collin asked.

“Yeah, we can do that,” Ben answered and kissed his cheek. 

“Might want to try that with the baby at the same time, and put Rey to bed.  _ And  _ it like you could use some sleep also.”

“You saying I look bad?” 

It was Leia’s turn to chuckle. “I love you son.”

“Love you too.” He took a deep breath, maybe he  _ was  _ preparing for battle. “Thanks mom.”

Leia gave them a smile and disappeared. Collin gave him a confused look and laid his head down on his shoulder. His sweet sickly little boy.

***

Rey had been out moments after she hit the pillow and both children had finally fallen asleep after he followed his mother's advice. Padme had clearly known this was a plot to get her to sleep and she’d fought to the bitter end although she too had finally succumbed.  _ Stubborn _ little  _ thing _ , he thought, kissing her cheek. 

He crawled into bed and pulled his other sleeping princess into his arms. Tomorrow, tomorrow he would talk to her about moving to the home on Naboo. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck Jar Jar Abrams and his jars of pickled Palpatines and Snokes!


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sappy ending alert, our babies get their HEA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My life has been like a bad country song these last two weeks, my dog died, my eardrum burst twice and I saw proof that Ben was killed in the cutting room. So I say once again, KK, Jar Jar, Terrior, Bob the man who lost Star Wars....You all suck. You will suck forever. 
> 
> Bring him back. #BringBackBenSolo
> 
> Thanks for going on this journey with me, this was my fist fic in a decade and I was rusty. So I appreciate all your feedback and love.

They married in a small ceremony on Naboo in the pink and orange colors of dusk on his great grandparents balcony overlooking the crystal clear lake where Padme and Anakin had once pledged their love. The birds sang and swooped overhead, as the lake gently lapped at the stone walls, it was a symphony as far as he was concerned. 

But while the love story of Padme and Anakin had been doomed to tragedy, Ben knew that this was forever. Rey’s love had broken the curse that had dogged his family since the lifetime of Shmi Skywalker. Today was the final correction of what had been stolen from two people who deserved happiness, but whose story ultimately tore the galaxy apart. 

When Rey approached him in her shimmering blue dress, with her chestnut hair in an Alderanian braid the universe was finally put to rights. It was all he could do to keep from crying. She was the most stunning star in all the galaxy, and he was forever hers. As he took her hands in his, he could feel the ghosts of the people who truly loved them...somehow he just knew they were there, and that Anakin and Padme had finally found peace. From the corner of his eye, he swore he saw his mother’s force ghost shimmer in for a moment. It wouldn’t surprise him that she’d move the universe to be here. A little tug at his pant leg from Collin, who was concerned dad was sad again, made him smile and he patted the boy on the head. He still wasn’t sure that he deserved to be this happy, but he knew that Rey and his children deserved everything. 

Rose held a squirming Padme, was adorably dressed to match her mother. But his daughter was not cooperating and unamused to be separated from her parents and made that clear at the most inopportune times of the ceremony causing all involved to laugh. It was perfect in its imperfections, and was shared with their tiny family that had now expanded to include his rambunctious Naberrie cousins. In the short time that he and Rey had known them, they had already been brought into the fold of the family. Rey and the children were doted on, he was teased mercilessly, and the sounds of a dozen children running the halls filled the old estate with a joy it had not seen in decades. It was the life and the family, they had both he and Rey been denied. Old Maz, the pirate queen, had been the voice of reason and helped them solidify the decision to move to Naboo, and he was forever grateful as he watched Collin come out his shell. His son now talked and laughed and played like any non force wielding child, at least most of the time. There were still the rare times where the occasional toy would be stolen using the force. 

The ceremony had gone by like stars at light speed. He’s pretty sure he said the right things at the right times, but he’s not certain. His universe was shrunk to a pair of hazel eyes. He could feel through the bond how truly happy she was to finally be Rey Solo. As if he wasn’t beyond pleased to be with her till the end of time, being married to Rey Solo was just a bonus. 

The stars twinkled in the inky black of night, as the guests finally left them for the evening. Force help Rose as she had taken the task of watching two lively force sensitive children for a few days. 

“Are you happy?” Rey asked him.  _ Was he happy? _ It was a ridiculous question, he smiled and kissed her softly, her lips warm and moist against his. 

“Beyond anything I dreamed could be possible,” he replied with all honesty as he pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. Tomorrow morning they would fly off in the Falcon to Chandrila for a few days to see his homeworld. Knowing Rey, she’d probably demand to be the pilot of that blasted rickety ship, but that wasn't going to be a problem. He’d be her copilot for the rest of time. 


End file.
